A lot of signings that Chelsea have made since the change of ownership have attracted criticism. It is not hard to understand why. The Blues have gone from perennial contenders to a team struggling to even qualify for the Champions League, despite spending record sums of money.
The issue seems to be the transfer strategy. The club have completely overlooked the need for experience and proven quality. Instead, they have signed one wonderkid after another, hoping that they will develop according to expectations.
Unfortunately, only a fraction of those moves have yielded the desired results. Plenty have failed and already moved on. And there are also some out on loan, still trying to find their feet at the senior level.
One player who is doing a good job of that this season is Omari Kellyman. He is currently on loan at Cardiff City and enjoying a great spell. The 20-year-old has scored seven goals and provided an assist in 24 League One games.
Omari Kellyman confirms desire to return to Chelsea
Naturally, Kellyman’s form has given rise to calls for Cardiff City to sign him permanently. And while the Englishman is appreciative of it, he seems to have a desire to return to Chelsea in the future.
According to The Athletic, Kellyman said regarding the matter: “I have seen those. Even coming out of the stadium, I can hear them saying it. It is great. After having a whole season being in the shadows, it is good to feel wanted again. But I signed for Chelsea, and I want to play for Chelsea — that is the end goal.”
Is Kellyman ready to make a mark for Chelsea?
Kellyman was signed by Chelsea from Aston Villa in the summer of 2024 for around £19 million. It came with a lot of cynicism from the supporters.
That was to do with the timing of the move. Around the same time, Ian Maatsen made the move to Aston Villa. Many felt that Chelsea had signed Kellyman for profit and sustainability reasons.
Since then, Kellyman has made zero appearances for Chelsea at the senior level. Of course, he has not been helped by his injury problems. He is finally starting to show what he is capable of though, albeit on loan at Cardiff City.
Kellyman is most certainly on the right path. But that does not mean that he is ready for Chelsea. That would be several steps up from Cardiff City.
The next move for Chelsea might very well be a loan move to the Championship or a club in the bottom half of the Premier League table. And if he can impress there, perhaps he could be in line for a chance at Stamford Bridge.
