Chelsea F.C.: View of the Blues' Youngsters

Chelsea begin their EPL campaign in less than a month from now but haven't yet made a notable signing during the offseason (apart from Genk goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois).

New manager Andre Villas-Boas was brought to Stamford Bridge to bring success after a trophy-less season under Carlo Ancelotti. While Villas-Boas is expected to make some big signings before the end of the transfer window, there is no doubt that many of the Chelsea youngsters have potential.

Here's an overview of five of Chelsea's most promising youngsters (who are currently with the Blues team):  

Honorable Mentions

Players Currently On Loan:

Jeffrey Bruma (Center-Back) - One Year Loan to Hamburg

Sam Walker (Goalkeeper) - One Year Loan to Northampton Town

Thibaut Courtois (Goalkeeper) - One Year Loan to Atletico Madrid

Players Currently with Chelsea:

Rhys Taylor (Goalkeeper)

Tomas Kalas (Center-Back)

Slobodan Rajkovic (Center-Back)

Jacob Mellis (Center-Midfield)

Daniel Sturridge

Age: 21

Position: Striker

Nationality: English

Daniel Sturridge could be an incredible striker. He's only 21 years old at the moment but has shown the Premier League how prolific a forward can be in such a small amount of time.

In January 2011, he was sent on loan to Bolton Wanderers and quickly made an impact. He became the sixth player to ever score four goals in his first four matches. Sturridge ended up playing 12 matches, scoring eight. But there's no doubt that playing on Chelsea will be harder in the upcoming season, with Torres, Drogba, Kalou, Anelka and others also fighting for a spot.

But Sturridge has made it clear that he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge and try to win a spot in the starting 11. No matter what happens, the Englishman is certainly a player for the future, and Chelsea may end up loaning him out again, but they should not sell him.

Ryan Bertrand

Age: 21

Position: Left-Back

Nationality: English

Bertrand has been sent on loan non-stop since his move to Chelsea in 2005. He has made few appearances for the Blues first team, but he certainly shows lots of potential.

To many, Bertand could be the next Ashley Cole. It's unclear whether or not Bertand will once again be loaned out in the upcoming campaign, especially because Cole, Zhirkov and Van Aanholt seem to be ahead of the 21-year-old in the left-back position.

I feel that Chelsea should loan Bertrand for one to two more years so that the player can start at a regular basis.

Patrick Van Aanholt

Age: 20

Position: Left-Back

Nationality: Dutch

The second left-back on this list, Van Aanholt has already played a few games for the Chelsea first team, and many fans will remember him for a great outing against Zilina in the Champions League last season.

The Dutch international was kept at Chelsea the first half of the season but was sent to Leicester City for the second part of the campaign.

Bertrand, Zhirkov and Van Aanholt are now fighting for that second left-back spot (after Ashley Cole as first choice). It would be a smart idea to let one of the three players go on loan for the season, while the other two are kept for at least until January. 

Josh McEachran

Age: 18

Position: Center Midfield

Nationality: English

Josh McEachran may be young but that hasn't prevented him from making a name for himself. He spent all of last season with the Chelsea first team and made a few laudable outings of the bench.

The 18-year-old looks like a natural center midfielder (or will become one) and might be the perfect replacement for Frank Lampard in five or so years.

After playing well in Chelsea's friendly matches (so far) this summer, it appears that McEachran will once again be part of Chelsea's main subsitutes in the upcoming campaign. 

Gael Kakuta

Age: 20

Position: Winger

Nationality: French

In 2007, Gael Kakuta moved from Rennes to Chelsea. UEFA found the manner of this transfer to be illegal and unsportsmanlike and chose to ban the Londoners from the transfer window for two years.

As we know, this decision was overruled. Kakuta hasn't found the headlines he would have wanted to just yet. After a good loan stint at Fulham, the Frenchman will want to show Chelsea that he is good enough.

Like many of the Chelsea youngsters, it is fairly unclear where Kakuta will be playing next season. It would be somewhat disappointing to see the Frenchman loaned out as he could certainly be a superb substitute for the Blues.  

Conclusion

Chelsea have been classified as one of the big spenders of soccer. That may be justified as they have dished out money unwisely at times, but the truth is that the Blues do try and promote their youth (as well as spend lots of money).

These five players have all shown tremendous potential and should be superb players in the future.

It's up to Andre Villas-Boas to decide whether or not he needs to spend lots of money. I feel that he should look at his youth players before making a big gamble on an expensive player.