How Chelsea's 22 loan stars are faring from dazzling youngsters to forgotten men

Chelsea are among the Premier League's shrewdest operators when it comes to the loan market.

The Blues are renowned for sending out countless players ahead of each new season to earn first-team minutes or with a view to bumping up their price tags ahead of a permanent transfer.

This summer was no different as Chelsea sanctioned 22 loan exits to clubs in England, Europe and beyond.

Many of these players are youngsters whom Stamford Bridge chiefs will be keeping a watchful eye on to ensure their development remains on track.

Meanwhile, some of Chelsea's loanees are forgotten men who do not have a place in Thomas Tuchel's plans and instead must try to make an impression elsewhere.

Without further ado, here is how Chelsea's 22 on-loan players are faring.

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher has been a dynamic presence at the heart of Crystal Palace's midfield ( Image:

REUTERS)

Arguably the most eye-catching of Chelsea's loanees, Conor Gallagher has been in brilliant form since arriving at Crystal Palace.

The 21-year-old - who joined the Blues as a child in 2008 - has scored two goals in six Premier League appearances for the Eagles, also chipping in with an assist and winning a penalty in the derby with Brighton.

Gallagher has built on his fine spell with West Brom last season to provide Patrick Vieira's side with grit and quality from central midfield.

Billy Gilmour

Billy Gilmour recently lost his place in the starting XI ( Image:

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Billy Gilmour, like Gallagher, is highly rated in west London, but he has failed to have the same impact as his fellow academy graduate.

Admittedly, it is not easy joining a team battling relegation, but the Chelsea hierarchy will be concerned that the 20-year-old was benched for three of Norwich City's last four Premier League fixtures.

Gilmour already has 22 senior appearances for the Blues to his name and is a fully-fledged Scotland international, so he will hope for more opportunities after the international break.

Tiemoue Bakayoko

Tiemoue Bakayoko suffered an injury in the early stages of his second AC Milan debut

Remember him?

Tiemoue Bakayoko has been on Chelsea's books since his £40million transfer from Monaco in 2017, but he never made the grade at Stamford Bridge.

In fact, the Frenchman is currently on his fourth loan spell away from the club in as many seasons, returning to AC Milan on a deal which lasts until the summer of 2023. Milan are then obliged to sign Bakayoko for a fee of £15million.

In terms of performances, there has been just one; the 27-year-old managed just 13 minutes before he suffered a calf injury on his second debut for the Rossoneri, ruling him out until mid-October at the earliest.

Ethan Ampadu

Ethan Ampadu can perhaps relate to Gilmour's predicament at Norwich having spent a challenging spell on loan at Sheffield United last season.

But the 21-year-old embarked on a new adventure ahead of the current campaign, joining Serie A new boys Venezia.

The Wales international is able to play a variety of roles and has been used as a central midfielder so far, making two appearances for the Italian minnows, who currently sit just above the relegation zone.

Emerson

Emerson joined Lyon shortly after winning Euro 2020 ( Image:

POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Emerson has enjoyed a brilliant year so far, winning the Champions League with Chelsea and Euro 2020 with Italy.

But it was clear the 27-year-old was low down the left-back pecking order - below Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell - so he joined Lyon for the season in mid-August.

Emerson's time with the French club has been mixed so far; he established himself as first-choice in his position and scored against Troyes only to be sent off after 14 minutes against Lorient three days later.

Kenedy

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Kenedy is a household name not because of his exploits in a Chelsea shirt, but because of how long he has been with the club.

The Brazilian winger joined the Blues in 2015 but he has only made 27 appearances, the last of which came in the 2017/18 season.

Kenedy returned to his homeland in August to join Flamengo having signed a new deal with Chelsea until 2023. The 25-year-old has made four appearances off the bench for the Brazilian club, who have the option to buy him next summer.

Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman

Danny Drinkwater is looking to resurrect his career in the Championship ( Image:

Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking of forgotten men, Danny Drinkwater is trying to revive his career on loan at Championship club Reading after ineffectual spells with Burnley, Aston Villa and Turkish side Kasimpasa.

A key cog in Leicester City's Premier League-winning side, the midfielder has endured a drastic fall from grace since his £35million transfer to Chelsea in 2017.

Drinkwater's Stamford Bridge nightmare is set to end when his contract expires next summer, while in the meantime he has established himself in Reading's starting XI in recent weeks.

The 31-year-old is joined at the Royals by Baba Rahman, 27, who is enjoying a fine run in the team as first-choice left-back.

Michy Batshuayi

Batshuayi has been playing in the Champions League with Besiktas ( Image:

AFP via Getty Images)

Remarkably, Michy Batshuayi remains in the Belgium squad and could face France in a Nations League semi-final on Thursday night despite his lack of opportunities at Chelsea in recent years.

The 28-year-old striker joined from Marseille in 2016 for a fee in excess of £33million and he has made 77 appearances for the Blues, scoring 25 goals.

But Batshuayi has been loaned out five times, most-recently to Turkish giants Besiktas, for whom he has scored three goals in eight games.

With less than two years remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea chiefs will hope Batshuayi can attract suitors with his performances this season before they likely look to sell him next summer.

Chelsea's other loanees

Centre-back Levi Colwill, 18, has been a regular in defence for Huddersfield Town but had to withdraw from the England Under-21 squad with an ankle injury.

Goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, 22, has served as back-up for Matt Ingram at Hull City and made one appearance in the Carabao Cup, failing to save any of the eight penalties he faced as Wigan Athletic won via a shootout.

Left-back Juan Castillo, 21, has only made three appearances for Birmingham City and has spent most of his time with the club's Under-23s.

Right-back Henry Lawrence, 20, has established himself as a regular in the AFC Wimbledon starting XI, making a total of 14 appearances for the League One club.

Another player making their mark in the third tier is goalkeeper Jamie Cumming, 22, who has played 90 minutes in all of Gillingham's fixtures, conceding 15 goals.

One tier up in the Championship, 19-year-old left-sided player Ian Maatsen has been in fine form for high-flying Coventry City and scored his first goal for the club in the 4-1 victory over Fulham earlier this month.

Also enjoying his time with the Sky Blues is centre-half Jake Clarke-Salter, 24, who has made nine appearances at the back, helping his side climb to third in the table.

Armando Broja takes on Man City's Nathan Ake ( Image:

PA)

Albania striker Armando Broja, 20, has made four appearances off the bench for Southampton in the Premier League but his only two goals for the Saints came in the 8-0 thrashing of Newport Country in the Carabao Cup second round.

Goalkeeper Karlo Ziger, 20, has been a regular for Chelsea Under-23 over the last two years but he has been sent out in search of senior minutes with Slovenian side Rudar Velenje, for whom he has made six appearances and conceded nine goals.

United States centre-back Matt Miazga, 26, is another player plying his trade abroad and has made five appearances for Alaves, who are struggling in La Liga but did beat champions Atletico Madrid 1-0 in late September.

Back on English soil, right-back Dujon Sterling, 21, has made five Championship appearances for Blackpool and the club are undefeated since his introduction to the starting XI last month.

Austrian prospect Thierno Ballo, 19, has made three appearances for Rapid Vienna in midfield or on the right-wing, winning his most-recent outing 5-2 against Tirol.

Last but not least, 19-year-old playmaker Tino Anjorin - who made one Chelsea appearance in the Champions League last season - has played six games for Lokomotiv Moscow, scoring in the Europa League against Marseille.