Chelsea have often been hammered for the way in which they use the loan system, often having high numbers of players away from the club, yet still on the books.

Whilst loans are common practice across the Premier League, it is a trend at Stamford Bridge for players to spend years away from the club without really making an impact in the first team.

However, there are still positives from the club’s perspective, for example, full-back Ryan Bertrand, who played in the 2012 Champions League final, had been loaned out to five separate clubs before joining Southampton on a permanent basis, where he has gone on to be a success after his £10m move.

While a financial benefit is all well and good for those in the boardroom in west London, the Stamford Bridge faithful are pining to see a prospect given a chance in Antonio Conte’s first team and really make a mark, as John Terry did all those years ago.

With the skipper coming closer and closer to the end of his career, someone needs to take the slot of ‘one of our own,’ and there are still plenty who can.

Chelsea winger Christian Atsu, who is on loan at Championship promotion favourites Newcastle, is yet to make a first team appearance for his parent club and the 25-year-old has been speaking of the struggle he faces to make a breakthrough at the club.

Whilst the winger who has previously had unsuccessful loans spells in the Premier League with Everton and, more recently, Bournemouth, is unlikely to be one to make a mark, a couple do spring to mind.

One who turned heads over the weekend was striker Bertrand Traore. The forward, who scored a superb solo effort with a neat finish for temporary side Ajax over the weekend, looked to have finally broken into the first team fold towards the end of last term under Gus Hiddink and, also, in this year’s pre-season under Conte.

Thus, it came as a bit of a surprise when the 21-year-old Burkino Faso international was loaned out to the Dutch side before the close of the summer window.

The striker has bagged six goals in all competitions so far this season, as well as getting a fair amount of European experience under his belt. With Diego Costa looking like he could be off come the end of this season, his place will be hotly contested over the summer months and Traore will be well in with a shot.

Another who could come to stake a claim to a spot in the first team back home is England U21 midfielder Lewis Baker. The versatile centre-mid has been impressing during his two-year loan spell with Vitesse Arnhem while bagging plenty of goals as we wrote last week and, when it comes to an end this summer, could well be in with a shot at first team football, especially considering the packed schedule that will be coming Conte’s way next term.

Therefore, whilst Chelsea fans have had to endure years of loanees paying dividends to the club’s coffers, it may not be long before they see a return on the pitch as well.