Chelsea’s loan deal is bad news for Everton

UPDATE: Monday July 22nd, 2019 2:30pm BST

Chelsea have announced they will be sending Ampadu on loan to RB Leipzig, who have been chasing Everton’s Ademola Lookman as well.

Chelsea have named their 24-man squad for their preseason tour to Japan where they will take on Barcelona, and have also announced that 18-year-old central defender Ethan Ampadu is not part of that squad as he’ll be heading out on loan soon.

GOALKEEPERS: Arrizabalaga, Caballero, Cumming

DEFENDERS: Alonso, Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson, Tomori, Zappacosta, Zouma

MIDFIELDERS: Barkley, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Jorginho, Kanté, Kovačić, Mount

FORWARDS: Abraham, Batshuayi, Giroud, Kenedy, Palmer, Pedro (Pulisic & Willian to join up later)

As an Everton fan, why do we care?

Well, for starters it means Kurt Zouma is that much more likely to stay with Chelsea this summer, which could bring to an end the Toffees’ interest in making his loan deal from last season a permanent signing. Andreas Christensen, David Luiz, Fikayo Tomori and Zouma are the only centerhalves in the group.

New manager Frank Lampard did well with another youngster Tomori at Derby County last season, so despite Ampadu having made his senior team debut last season along with four other appearances under Maurizio Sarri, it’s Tomori who appears to have the early lead in the manager’s eyes.

With Anton Rudiger set to miss the beginning of the season following a surgical procedure, it’s looking more and more likely that Zouma will not be offered to Everton at any price with the Stamford Bridge side facing a two-window transfer ban. Bummer, because Zouma did look really good playing alongside Michael Keane in the second half of last season.