A Progress Report on Reading's Chelsea Loanee Lucas Piazon

Chelsea have 33 players out on loan.

The vast majority of those will never come close to the first team at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's use of the loan system may have started with the intention of blooding their youngsters with the view to gaining more experience, but now it's seen more as a cash cow.

Instead, that experience is often used to maintain a transfer value, which the club eventually uses to bolster the first team with more established names.

Lucas Piazon seems to be the next promising youngster to join the long list of loan casualties at Chelsea.

Why? Because his loan moves simply haven't produced enough.

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

Scoring 19 goals for Middlesbrough in the Championship last season couldn't earn Patrick Bamford a squad place at Chelsea this term, so Piazon's efforts with Reading will hardly do better for him.

That's not to suggest the Brazilian isn't performing well under Steve Clarke, though.

He's already picked up a couple of assists for the Royals, also scoring three goals in his 12 appearances.

In terms of what Piazon must achieve to be considered the real deal at Chelsea, however, he is way off.

Piazon has long been a player who's had some big hopes pinned on his progress.

His problem has always been the same that many Chelsea youngsters face, though. Too good for the youth teams, but at senior level, he hasn't quite cut it.

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

That is what we're seeing at Reading this season.

It isn't enough to look OK in the Championship. Any player on loan from the Premier League—let alone Chelsea—must look exceptional.

They need to stand out as a cut above, which Piazon isn't doing right now.

Given their similarities as players, compared with Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, Piazon's shortcomings are clear.

On loan at Bormingham City and Brighton & Hove Albion in recent seasons, the England under-21 midfielder caught the headlines with some excellent displays.

Indeed, when he was just 19 years old, Lingard bagged four goals on his Birmingham City debut against Sheffield Wednesday.

He didn't remain as prolific in his time at St Andrew's, but that performance was enough to show what Lingard was capable of.

Still only a teenager, he was one of the best players in a struggling Birmingham team during the three months he spent with them.

Piazon hasn't exactly been one of Reading's star performers in the same way Lingard was at Birmingham.

Also, given where he should be in his career, Piazon is lagging behind those he would need to displace to earn a call-up to Mourinho's side.

He lacks the same authority that the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar possessed at his age.

Hazard, for instance, had Europe salivating at his performances for Lille when he was in his early 20s, like Piazon is now.

Oscar was also approaching his 21st birthday when he arrived at Stamford Bridge from Internacional. He made an instant impact, too, scoring a brace against Juventus to announce himself.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Hazard and Oscar looked ready. Piazon doesn't.

For any youngster, putting themselves up against more established names is always going to show them to be a lesser talent.

It's perhaps unfair for Piazon, yet equally, it is the standard that they must reach in order to make the grade at elite level.

We're witnessing some neat performances from Piazon at Reading right now, but there's nothing he's produced that can suggest he is deserving of a chance under Mourinho.

Last term, Bamford was the catalyst for Middlesbrough coming close to winning promotion. It's Piazon's task to be just as instrumental at the Madejski Stadium.

In his 12 games to date, he has looked good. Just not that good.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes