Chelsea have been accused of warehousing players by the PFA. The criticism comes due to the fact that the Blues have 33 players out on loan, a combined £100m worth of talent.

Players’ Union chief Gordon Taylor told Mirror Sport: “You just wonder where the number will end because it’s a pretty strong influence that one Premier League club seems to be having in so many competitions.”

“It’s a bit of a worry with so many Chelsea players out on loan. It’s almost a warehousing of players. You wonder whether it brings into question the integrity of the various competitions.”

“From a player’s point of view, you can see they would want to go out on loan if there is not a first-team place ­available. But Chelsea have an academy so you have to wonder how it is they have such a phenomenal number of players out there.”

“Players want to play and the loan system gives them that chance. But then there are players at these clubs in Europe who are denied the chance because others are coming in with their parent clubs paying their wages. It makes that option more ­attractive.”

“So then it is not about the best team winning a ­particular competition, it is about who has the best ­relationship with the biggest clubs.”

“It’s not so much something that we’ve been alerted to. It’s something that you can’t fail to notice because it has been such a phenomenal number of players out there.”

Taylor added: “To be fair, the loan system has given chances to a lot of players in this country, like Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck, even David Beckham. But then when you look at Chelsea, of the homegrown players, it’s only John Terry that’s come through.”

“You’d hope a club could have a situation like the Class of ’92 at Manchester United where even though they went out on loan, the players came back to become established members of the first team.”

[All quotes from the Mirror]

The point that Taylor makes is a very good, but the talent Chelsea possess shouldn’t be frowned upon. There may be plenty of players who don’t make the grade and play for the first team, but those that do make it will almost certainly become some of the best around.