Charly Musonda Q&A with Read Chelsea

Celtic have completed the loan signing of Chelsea youngster Charly Musonda until the end of next season.

We wanted to find out a little bit more about Musonda, so we quizzed Read Chelsea editor Ryan Darby about the Belgian.

Lots of Chelsea fans seem unhappy Musonda is being allowed to go on loan, what’s your take on the situation?

A lot of Chelsea fans have seen Musonda dominate at youth level in recent years. Even with the likes of Andreas Christensen and Ruben Loftus-Cheek coming through the ranks, Musonda was seen as the diamond in the rough.

As is always the case with Chelsea, it comes down to the number of chances being given. Antonio Conte has notoriously favoured experience over youth throughout his managerial career, and that hasn’t changed.

It’s here where Chelsea fans are caught in two minds because Conte has continuously attacked the board over a lack of transfers and his small squad, but he refuses to give the likes of Musonda minutes, even if it’s just five minutes here and 10 minutes there in the odd game.

Why do you think he hasn’t got his chance yet for the Chelsea first-team?

Under Conte, I believe it’s purely down to a lack of trust, tactically. We’re seeing the same thing now with Ross Barkley, who has recently joined from Everton. Conte is quick to point out how players must learn to play ‘our way’.

His development has stalled over the last 12 months, he joined Real Betis on loan in the 2015-16 season and didn’t look out of place in La Liga. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, he enjoyed a solid start in what was his first taste of senior football.

With that in mind, it seemed like the perfect opportunity when he joined Beits again the following the summer. However, that was too good to be true and a change of management there saw him fall out of favour.

He returned to Chelsea in January 2017 and has been in and out of the development sides ever since, which is the last thing the club would have wanted.

What will Musonda bring to the Celtic side that will help them progress in Europe?

While his senior career has slowed down over the last 12 months, he does have experience of playing in big matches. He has already lifted two FA Youth Cups, something he and the club take a lot of pride from, as well as a UEFA Youth League, the youth equivalent of the Champions League.

With that in mind, he does know how to turn it on in the big games. At youth level, he was the player that would thrive on the pressure of the occasion, so hopefully, he can replicate that at a senior level.

The home fixture against Zenit really is only around the corner, so if Brendan Rodgers wants him for that game, he’s going to have to get him settled in quickly.

Brendan Rodgers has wanted Musonda for over a year now at Celtic, do you think he’ll be a success?

Rodgers has been keeping tabs on Musonda for some time and I’m surprised a deal has not be struck before now. He, as a manager, clearly has a track record when it comes to working with younger players, which is why many have actually backed him to manage Chelsea one day.

From that perspective, I think it’s a good move for him. However, it puts a lot of pressure on the Europa League fixtures against Zenit. Celtic are likely to go on and win the league again, so if you’re unable to knock the Russian side out of the competition, is a dozen or so games in the Scottish Premiership really what he needs?

Ultimately, it will be good for him to get some minutes under his belt and back into senior football, but I think overall, a Premier League move could have been more beneficial in the long run.

Chelsea are usually very particular about who and where they send their players too. Rodgers has had Josh McEachran and Victor Moses on loan from us throughout his managerial career and neither move worked out well. I imagine they’ve looked at the way Patrick Roberts has developed at the club and given him the benefit of the doubt. I have no doubt that he will come back as a better player, one way or another.

If you had to compare him to any player, who would you liken him to most?

Comparisons are difficult, especially when he hasn’t played senior football for so long! He has a bit of everything though, he’ll excite the fans with both his pace and trickery.

He likes to try and beat his man, which isn’t that common in wingers anymore if we’re being honest.

He knows where the back of the net is too. There was a great moment for him earlier this season when he scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in a Carabao Cup game against Nottingham Forest, it reduced him to tears!