Chelsea FC: How Lewis Baker Fits in at Vitesse

English central midfielder Lewis Baker, 20, will embark on a loan at Vitesse this coming season, giving Chelsea a prime chance to re-evaluate his transfer stock.

Let's analyse the potential ability of Baker and what his role at Vitesse could be.

The Quiet Achiever

Then-Sheffield Wednesday manager Stuart Gray was lukewarm toward developing Baker.

During a 0-0 draw against Birmingham City, Baker completed 31 passes as a central midfielder in a 4-4-2, just five more passes than goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

Defensively, Baker struggled, winning just one of six defensive duels, per Wyscout.

Adapted from Wyscout

Averaging 39.3 minutes per league game over four matches, Baker was done in Gray's books.

"Lewis didn't make the squad because I felt that group of players I had out there would get the result," Gray said, relayed by the Star. "Competition is healthy and what people do know is that if they don't pull their weight they will be out of the team and someone else will grab the shirt."

Baker experienced a jarring introduction to the cutthroat business of professional football. 

The step up to the Championship was too much for Baker, so Chelsea prematurely ended the loan and sent him down to League One.

Milton Keynes Dons manager Karl Robinson was going about his daily routine when he received a call out of the blue from Chelsea.

"I didn't make the phone call [as Chelsea] called us. [Baker is] one of the best young midfielders in the country and [I was] shocked when [his] name got mentioned to me," Robinson said, per Scott Kirk at MK Web. "He can take corners with both feet [and] can manipulate [the] ball unbelievably well."

Robinson started Baker as a central midfielder in a 3-2 win over Rochdale and a No. 10 in a 3-0 win over Fleetwood Town.

This exemplifies Robinson's belief that Baker has the requisite footballing intelligence and all-round skill set to seamlessly interchange between two pivotal positions.

Adapted from Wyscout

Adapted from Wyscout

"English players get a lot of criticism for having a lack of technical ability but look at Lewis Baker who plays with both feet, plays forward, square and back, [and] he scores goals," Robinson said, relayed by Scott Kirk at MK Web. "He's an unbelievable talent."

Baker repaid Robinson's faith by contributing to MK Dons' promotion to the Championship.

What To Expect At Vitesse 

In a 2-2 draw against Heerenveen at the end of May, Vitesse manager Peter Bosz used a 4-3-3, but it morphed into a 4-1-4-1 when you judge his players by their average positions.

Bosz started three Chelsea loanees:

• Bertrand Traore: Scored 13 of his 14 goals and provided four of his five assists as a No. 9. He is a once-in-a-generation talent. 
• Wallace: Substantially more comfortable going forward than staying back and defending. He was given a chance in an advanced wide-right role after losing his right-back spot to 18-year-old Kevin Diks.
• Josh McEachran: Made strides toward the end of the season, as all three of his assists for the campaign occurred from April to May.

Adapted from Wyscout

Bosz utilised McEachran as the first one in the 4-1-4-1 against Heerenveen, and it is a role Baker can fill, having played that position against Rochdale under Robinson.

During the 2013/14 UEFA Youth League, Wyscout highlighted Baker's "excellent ambidexterity and composure" but noted that he needed to "improve his strength" and one-on-one defending.

Baker was not Bosz's first preference.

"Chelsea know what they do for us and they are satisfied with the development that [their] boys have made with ​​us," Bosz said, per De Telegraaf (h/t Oliver Todd at the Daily Mail). "We wanted to bring Ruben Loftus-Cheek here, but he is [going to play] more at Chelsea now so a loan is impossible."

Loftus-Cheek provides a bigger physical presence than Baker.

That said, there is a midfield opening at Vitesse after Marko Vejinovic transferred to Feyenoord for €3.5 million/£2.5 million.

Davy Propper and Valeri Qazaishvili, whose combined Eredivisie output was 19 goals and 12 assists last season, have licences to roam. 

This likely means that if Baker becomes a starter, he could play a holding-midfield role under Bosz.

"

@JoostNa Lewis Baker & Peter Bosz pic.twitter.com/Qrxi6D3coF

— Joost Na (@JoostNa) June 28, 2015"

Why Vitesse Loan Matters

UEFA Youth League	2014/15	2013/14
	Andreas Christensen	Andreas Christensen
	Charlie Colkett	John Swift
	Charly Musonda	Lewis Baker
	Dominic Solanke	Mitchell Beeney
	Isaiah Brown	Nathan Ake
	Jay Dasilva
	Jeremie Boga
	Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Twelve Chelsea players, including Baker, have been flagged as outstanding young guns in the last two UEFA Youth League tournaments by Wyscout.

Consequently, Baker is not always present in the minds of people who talk about Chelsea prospects—there are so many to remember.

Baker is not yet Chelsea first-team material, learned a harsh lesson at Sheffield Wednesday—perform ASAP or get dropped—but he bounced back at MK Dons.

"Bertrand Traore and Josh McEachran spoke positively about Vitesse," Baker said, per De Telegraaf (h/t Oliver Todd at the Daily Mail). "They developed here and that's what I hope to achieve."

Football is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately industry, which is why being loaned to Vitesse could kick-start Baker's top-flight career.

+allanjiang.

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.