Chelsea has reportedly set their sights on Besiktas as a potential destination for one of their young prospects. With nine new players added to their squad for the upcoming season, Chelsea’s recruitment team now face the challenging task of offloading players before the end of the summer transfer window.
Progress has been made with finding temporary homes for players like Caleb Wiley and Andrey Santos, who have both joined Strasbourg. However, with Strasbourg only having one more slot available for a Chelsea player and FIFA regulations allowing for only four more foreign loans, decisions need to be made regarding which players will move abroad and who will need to find a club domestically.
One player who could potentially be heading abroad is Angelo Gabriel, who impressed during his time at Strasbourg last season. Journalist Bruno Andrade has suggested that discussions are taking place behind the scenes about a potential move to Besiktas for the Brazilian youngster. Angelo only featured for 65 minutes during pre-season, and Enzo Maresca has indicated that he is open to the idea of the youngster going out on loan.
The decision on whether Besiktas would be the right fit for Angelo ultimately boils down to Chelsea’s desire to see his value and experience increase. Besiktas recently deployed Milot Rashica and Semih Kilicsoy in the wide areas for their first Super Lig fixture of the season, which they won 2-0 against Samsunspor. Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is eagerly awaiting the outcome of Besiktas’ Europa League playoff tie.
Even if Besiktas were to drop into the Europa Conference League, competition for places in all areas is crucial. It remains to be seen whether Besiktas would be the ideal destination for Angelo to continue his development and gain valuable playing time.