Academy youngster Jesse Derry (who joined our setup from Crystal Palace last summer) made a pretty good impression in his occasional first-team appearances last season, showing that he’s certainly ready for much more than what youth football — or just cameos off the bench at senior level, for that matter — can offer him.
Along those lines, a loan is surely the best next step in his development. He’s chosen a fairly big step however, with Fabrizio Romano among those reporting that Chelsea and Sporting CP have agreed a season-long loan for the 19-year-old winger.
Sporting finished second in the Portuguese top division last year, ahead of José Mourinho’s Benfica but six points behind champions FC Porto. Sporting did lead the league in scoring, though they are losing a key piece of that attack to Chelsea, with Geovany Quenda joining the Blues on a pre-arranged transfer. One would imagine that Derry should have the opportunity to take step into the void left by fellow teenager Quenda, and, if he can rise to that challenge, have himself a very productive season for his development.