Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori has been excellent on loan at Derby County.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Chelsea will promote several top academy players such as on-loan Derby County defender Fikayo Tomori to their first-team squad next season to comply with ‘homegrown’ rules.
Clubs are required to have eight UK-schooled players in their squad, but the reports suggests that Chelsea could end up offloading six – with Cesc Fabregas, Danny Drinkwater, Victor Moses, Gary Cahill, Rob Green and Andreas Christensen all out of favour under manager Maurizio Sarri.
Chelsea are said to be making an effort to bring back some British talent to comply with the rules, with Derby County’s on-loan duo Tomori and Mason Mount tipped to return to Stamford Bridge next term.
The idea of Derby signing Mount permanently has never really been realistic – due to his enormous potential, but retaining Tomori is thought possible. The 20-year-old has been superb for the Rams this season, starting 18 Championship games and building up a solid partnership alongside Richard Keogh, as the east Midlands side seek a return to the Premier League.
Manager Frank Lampard has used his Chelsea connections to bring in Mount and Tomori on loan, and both players have greatly contributed to the side’s new high-pressing attacking style of play.
Tomori has incredible pace for a defender, and his presence allows Derby to play a high line, knowing the central defender has the speed to cover counterattacks and balls played over the top.
Chelsea’s history of allowing young English players to move on – such as Josh McEachran, John Swift, Patrick Bamford, Nathaniel Chalobah and Jonathan Panzo in recent seasons – would have offered Derby hope of securing Tomori on a permanent deal next summer, but the latest report suggests Tomori is instead set to remain at Chelsea.
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