Claude Makelele has defended Chelsea’s loan system, claiming that it is doing its job.
Chelsea have been criticised for the number of players they sign and then loan out, with many feeling that the club do not have any plans for these individuals.
Yet it is a system that is helping the Blues to make a lot of money. For example, Chelsea bought Djordje Petrovic for £14m in 2023, sent the goalkeeper out on loan to Strasbourg a year later and then sold him to Bournemouth for £25m.
Petrovic’s debut for Bournemouth was not the best, but that is not something that Chelsea have to worry about. The Club World Cup winners’ loan system is not just helping them to make money, though.
Reece James #24, Malo Gusto #27 and Trevoh Chalobah #23 of Chelsea FC interact during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final
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Claude Makelele says Trevoh Chalobah is proof Chelsea’s loan system works
The likes of Reece James, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah have all been loaned out before and are now first-team players at Stamford Bridge.
Chalobah’s last loan spell was as recent as last season, with the defender joining Crystal Palace in the 2024 summer transfer window before he was recalled to the club in January.
He is now starting games for Enzo Maresca‘s side, and Makelele believes that is proof that Chelsea’s loan system is working.
When asked if Chelsea need to sign a new centre-back after Colwill’s ACL injury, the Frenchman told the Daily Mail: “It’s not just Chelsea. There are a lot of clubs that need this (centre-back cover). Of course, you need this because they will play FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League, all these competitions and you need to have 20 players to play in all these competitions.
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“Now Chalobah has come back, which shows how the loan system works to give us the quality that Chelsea deserve. The history of Chelsea, the way Chelsea will compete, because playing for Chelsea, you need to be ready, because it’s tough.
“It’s one of the most difficult teams in London to adapt to. And of course you will need a defender. But you need a defender who understands how Chelsea play, their history and come to help the club progress.”
It has been claimed that Palace view Chalobah as a replacement for Marc Guehi, but given Chelsea’s own centre-half dilemma right now, Maresca will not want the club to sell the 26-year-old.
Former Paris Saint-Germain player Claude Makelele attends Qatar Airways Padel
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Claude Makelele changed Trevoh Chalobah’s position
Chalobah is a player whom Makelele knows very well. When Makelele was working for Chelsea as a technical mentor to the young footballers at the club, it was the 52-year-old who converted Chalobah from a midfielder into a defender.
When Makelele spoke about Chalobah last year, he said: “I made him understand he was not a midfielder — you need to play behind [in defence], because that allows you to see the game. So we talked a lot.
“He tried one time and he said he was comfortable like this and he started making his way.”
Makelele clearly has a lot of faith in the England international and will be glad that he is getting his chance at Chelsea.