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Five of the best players Chelsea loaned to Vitesse Arnhem

Chelsea’s partnership with Vitesse Arnhem is under the microscope after leaked documents suggested former owner Roman Abramovich bankrolled a takeover of the Dutch side.

The Guardian have revealed details of the leaked documents which indicate at least €117m (£102.8m) of secret funding from Abramovich for the takeover of the Eredivisie outfit in 2010.

Suspicions of the ‘partnership’ had long been helped given how Vitesse have been a major beneficiary of Chelsea’s successful academy system across the past decade, with the west Londoners having sent a huge 29 players on loan to the Netherlands.

We’ve picked out five of the best players Chelsea loaned to Vitesse Arnhem.

Nemanja Matic

Nemanja Matic spent a season on loan at Vitesse as the Serbian midfielder sought to gain experience and break into the Chelsea side.

Matic had signed for the west Londoners as a teenager, but made just three first-team appearances before embarking on a loan move to the Eredivisie in 2010/11. He featured 29 times as the Dutch side narrowly avoided relegation to the second tier, where his performances attracted the interest of Benfica.

Matic signed for Benfica in January 2011, before returning to Chelsea three years later in £21m deal. His second spell at Stamford Bridge proved a huge success as the midfielder won two Premier League titles, with Matic named in the PFA Team of the Year during the first of those triumphs in 2014/15.

He moved on to Manchester United in 2017 to reunite with Jose Mourinho, before following the former Chelsea boss to a third club after signing for current club Roma.

Patrick van Aanholt

Chelsea brought in Patrick van Aanholt to the club’s academy from PSV Eindhoven, before sending the left-back on various loans to aid his development. After spells with Coventry, Newcastle, Leicester and Wigan, Van Aanholt returned to his native Netherlands to sign for Vitesse.

He spent two-and-a-half seasons on loan at Vitesse, where he featured alongside fellow Chelsea loanees in Bertrand Traore, Christian Atsu, Tomas Kalas and Lucas Piazon as the club secured Europa League football.

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Van Aanholt failed to breakthrough at Chelsea on his return, but forged a successful Premier League career during spells at Sunderland and Crystal Palace. The Dutch international made 213 appearances in England’s top division, in which he scored 20 goals and laid on 15 assists.

The 32-year-old is currently back in the Eredivise on loan at PSV.

Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke was viewed as one of Chelsea’s most promising prospects in the academy system, with Jose Mourinho having stated he would blame himself if the forward did not become an England regular.

Solanke was named as Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year in 2014/15, before being sent on loan to Vitesse the following season. He impressed during his first season of senior football and scored seven goals in 25 league appearances, but failed to build on that progress after returning to Chelsea.

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After starring during England’s victorious campaign to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball in 2017, he signed for Liverpool but again struggled for opportunities. A move to Bournemouth followed, where the Cherries’ drop into the Championship allowed Solanke to shine away from the Premier League spotlight.

He scored 44 goals in 86 second tier appearances and fired Bournemouth back into the Premier League last season. A return of three league goals to date in 2022/23 needs to be improved if the Cherries are to survive this season.

Mason Mount

One of the true success stories from Chelsea’s loan moves to Vitesse, Mason Mount excelled on loan in the Eredivisie to underline his potential.

The teenage midfielder scored 13 goals and provided a further nine assists during the 2017/18 campaign to earn inclusion in the Eredivisie Team of the Season and win Vitesse’s Player of the Year award.

He signed on loan for Derby County the following season and impressed under Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, before progressing into the senior side at Stamford Bridge following Lampard’s appointment in west London.

Since then Mount has made 192 appearances for the club, in which he has won the Champions League and been named as Chelsea Player of the Year in each of the last two campaigns. A regular with England, he has also won 36 caps for Gareth Southgate’s side.

Mount’s future with the club remains uncertain at present however, after contract talks at Chelsea broke down. A queue of clubs are monitoring his situation ahead of a summer move.

Armando Broja

Armando Broja was another name who used Vitesse as a platform to showcase his talent, with the Albanian forward scoring ten league goals to finish as the club’s leading scorer in 2020/21.

A chance at Premier League level followed with a loan move to Southampton, where an impressive campaign for the Saints saw Broja score six league goals and handle the rigours of England’s top flight.

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The 20-year-old turned down interest from rival clubs to remain at Chelsea this season, but saw a serious knee injury curtail his campaign in December. The academy product will hope to return stronger next season, with Chelsea lacking options at centre-forward.

Read – Chelsea fire sale: Who could leave and where?

Read Also – Iconic Duos: Chelsea’s impregnable pairing made of steel and silk, Terry and Carvalho

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