Charly Musonda has returned to Chelsea after his 18-month loan spell at Celtic was cut short.
Charly Musonda’s miserable loan spell at Celtic has been cut short a year ahead of schedule and, given the circumstances, Chelsea may not be in a rush to send more of their young prospects back to Glasgow.
Musonda’s arrival at Celtic Park during the January transfer window was heralded as a masterstroke by Brendan Rodgers, who claimed the Bhoys had beaten 24 other clubs to secure his signature. It looked the perfect arrangement for all parties involved. But, barring one magical evening at home to Zenit St Petersburg in the Europa League, the 21-year-old flattered to deceive and would make just two appearances as a sub beyond February.
While Rodgers spoke positively of Musonda’s attitude throughout his stay in Glasgow, his lack of game time allegedly frustrated Chelsea, with ESPN claiming the club were unhappy with his limited opportunities having turned so many other clubs away when Celtic came calling in January.
Keeping track of the number of loan deals sanctioned by Chelsea can be a difficult task given the sheer volume of players on their books. But the club have demonstrated on plenty of occasions they will not hesitate to cut a deal short if they feel their player is not getting the game time they were promised – a step taken with Kasey Palmer when his spell at Huddersfield Town was brought to a premature end last January.
Given the weight of expectation behind the Musonda deal, Chelsea could be forgiven for thinking twice the next time Celtic approach them for one of their prized talents, particularly one as precocious as Musonda.
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