Crystal Palace fans repeatedly find themselves in the same heartbreaking cycle: falling for a loan player from Chelsea. We’ve seen it before with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Michy Batshuayi (the first time when he was scoring goals), and Conor Gallagher.
We had hoped, after Gallagher’s departure, that we’d finally stop emotionally attaching ourselves to Chelsea’s temporary signings. But then, Trevoh Chalobah arrived.
Chalobah debuted for Palace in October against Liverpool, and his presence immediately boosted performances. Oliver Glasner’s back-three strategy began to click into place, with Chalobah on the right, Maxence Lacroix in the middle, and Marc Guehi on the left.
The team started to resemble the high-flying squad that ended last season, despite being 15th in the Premier League. Chalobah made crucial contributions, including scoring in wins against Brighton and Southampton.
However, little did we know that his last game for Palace would be the 2-1 victory over Southampton on December 29. The next few days were filled with speculation and frustration as Chalobah missed key matches, including the FA Cup game against Stockport County.
Rumors of “contractual issues” suggested Chelsea didn’t want him cup-tied in case they decided to recall him, and, sure enough, just hours before Palace faced Leicester City, the inevitable happened: Chalobah was recalled by Chelsea.
This is where my frustration begins. To recall a player on the day he’s set to play is simply disgraceful. Chelsea’s reasoning? They’re facing an “injury crisis.” Yet with seven center-backs, including the injured Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, this isn’t exactly a crisis. Chelsea still has options like Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo, not to mention younger talent like Josh Acheampong and Aaron Anselmino.
Chalobah has shone in a back-three formation under both Thomas Tuchel and Glasner. But under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea plays with a back-four. Will Chalobah fit in? Maybe, but it’s more likely he’ll warm the bench. Chelsea’s treatment of Chalobah has been disgraceful.
Banished to the ‘bomb squad’ last summer, Chalobah was told he had no future at his boyhood club. Despite this, he remained loyal, eager to prove himself under a new coach. Chelsea’s response? A loan to Palace, with a future transfer possibly in the works. Now they’re recalling him in desperation.
But the real story here isn’t about frustrated Palace fans like myself. It’s about Chalobah, who wanted nothing more than to play for the club he joined at eight. Unfortunately, he will likely be sidelined for the rest of the season and then sold to fund Chelsea’s next center-back purchase. His value will continue to drop if he doesn’t play, making it harder for Chelsea to recoup a decent transfer fee.
Meanwhile, Marc Guehi, the Palace captain, is a prime target for Chelsea. Having been cast aside by Stamford Bridge just like Chalobah, Palace fans are hoping they can hold onto him, or at the very least, sell him to a rival club like Liverpool out of spite.
In the end, everyone loses: Palace, Chelsea, Chalobah, and the very essence of football decency. And this is why falling for a loan player is always a losing game.