Chelsea Transfer News: Ryan Bertrand's Loyalty Key to Blues' Future Success

Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand had been the subject of transfer buzz this summer, but it appears he's completely off the market after interest from English Premier League rival Liverpool faded.

Goal.com's Greg Stobart had the exclusive on this development, which would have nearly doubled the 23-year-old's salary from £35,000 to £60,000 per week. That is simply too much for a player of Bertrand's caliber.

Bertrand is still a work in progress, yet he has immense room to improve. Putting that high of a bounty up for him to leave Stamford Bridge was a savvy move. It proved his loyalty to the club in the sense that it would have taken a king's ransom to get him to leave town.

Now, returning manager Jose Mourinho can focus on developing his young prospect, which will only be buoyed by the presence of superstar Ashley Cole.

Although the veteran is not the defender he once was, he can still play a role as an invaluable mentor to Bertrand throughout the 2013-14 season. It won't be long before someone has to fill the void Cole leaves, and it appears Bertrand is a prime candidate to do so.

Cole is under contract for just this upcoming season, having signed a one-year extension back in January.

The younger Bertrand certainly isn't short on confidence that he can be the team's future at Cole's position—something Mourinho has to be intrigued by.

Dominic Fifield of The Guardian logged what Bertrand had to say publicly about his rebuked transfer possibility and his future with Chelsea:

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I want to be Chelsea's No1 left-back, and when that time comes it will happen. All I can do is be ready and keep playing, keep biding my time. I'm thinking of nothing else. I am just focusing on being No1, concentrating on progression in the games I get, and I've managed to do so in recent years.

I've had a few loan moves – Bournemouth, Oldham, Norwich, Reading and [Nottingham] Forest – but that's part and parcel of it when you are a young player coming through. You have to be willing to put the work in and not being afraid, to get out of the comfort zone and take your opportunities. It's better than reserve team football, but then there comes a time when you have to say: "Right, I am going to spend some time back at the club and see what happens." I'm looking forward to next season.

"

Bertrand essentially guarantees he will be the club's top left-back when Cole inevitably hangs up his cleats or pursues another opportunity.

However, he did acknowledge his understanding that there will be competition regardless of what Cole's future holds. That is simply the nature of the business at this high level of world football.

Chelsea has a stellar organization in place to be sure, and Bertrand is showing a lot of maturity by sticking it out in Stamford Bridge rather than taking slightly more money to play on a different, likely inferior squad.

The presence of the successful Mourinho should also help Bertrand's progress.

Mourinho is demanding and a former central midfielder who can accentuate the versatile qualities that, according to Stobart, Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers coveted in Bertrand.

As Fifield points out, Bertrand has a contract that runs through 2016, giving him and the club plenty of time to evaluate whether he's ready to be the answer at left-back for the future. Allotting him two seasons' worth to prove his viability is the perfect amount of time.

Given his confidence, willingness to improve and the returning presence of Cole to advise Bertrand for at least this year, it appears the promising defender will fit in with the Blues for years to come.

The transfer market has been kind to Chelsea with the acquisitions of Andre Schurrle, Mark Schwarzer and Marco van Ginkel, who are all relatively young assets for Mourinho to build around.

Another one of those cornerstones for the long-term figures to be Bertrand, who the pair of Mourinho and Cole should be able to get the most out of.

Both the club and Bertrand remain mutually loyal to each other, and that makes Bertrand's developing situation all the more promising.