Chelsea have allowed midfielder Josh McEachran to link up with one of the club’s legends and current Watford manager Gianfranco Zola, on loan until 2nd January, according to the Dailymail.
The 20-year-old is one of the few academy starlets to come through the ranks at Chelsea, but with a host of players vying for a spot in the starting eleven in his preferred midfield role, Blues coach Jose Mourinho has decided to send him out on loan to Watford to gain valuable match experience.
This will see the playmaker link up with former Blues forward Zola, who scored 59 goals during his time at Stamford Bridge from 1996 to 2003. The former West Ham United manager led the Hornets to a third place finish in the Championship last season, but they lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the play-off final at Wembley, consigning them to another season in the second tier of English football.
Zola will be hoping McEachran can have an impact similar to Chelsea starlet Nathaniel Chalobah, who played a big part in their push for promotion last season. The defender has chosen to join Championship side Nottingham Forest this season to continue his development.
After helping Watford finish third last season, Zola will be hoping McEachran can take them one step further by finishing in the top two of the table, thereby guaranteeing promotion for the club that last played in the Premier League in the 2006-07 season.
The England U-21 international made his debut for Chelsea aged just 17 when he came on as a substitute in a Champions League encounter against MSK Zilina. With the club bringing an influx of talented midfielders to the Bridge, McEachran’s playing time has been very limited which has ultimately led to his departure to seek playing time.
This will be his second stint in the Championship, after joining Middlesbrough on loan last season where he impressed initially, but faded as the season progressed. This came after an unsuccessful spell with Swansea in the 2011-12 season.