(Poll) What would you do with Kakuta?

[Madmax 9,219]

It's that time of the year again when performances over the course of the season are assessed and plans for the forthcoming one are drawn up. In young Gael Kakuta's case, it's been a bittersweet season, frustration and redemption in more or less equal measure.

The loan to Bolton didn't go according to plan and as a result it was decided to ship him out to Dijon once the winter window rolled around. It should be borne in mind that his original loan to Bolton was for 6 months only, the club probably saw a role for him in the team for the latter part of the season. Nevertheless, Kakuta sparkled at Dijon in the initial months, notching up 5 goals and a couple of assists, not too shabby in a predominantly defense-oriented league, moreover in a team battling relegation. However he was left out of the team during the run-in at the season's end, with rumours of ill-attitude doing the rounds.

Kakuta hasn't been shy about expressing his desire to rejoin Chelsea during close season and try and make an impact for the future. He has a contract that runs until 2015 and still just 20 years old, he has time on his side. The question is whether he is or looks like something approaching a player Chelsea can find useful. So, what would you do with Gael Kakuta next season, were it up to you?

[Spike 12,049]

Let him have a go in the preseason. If he tits up, he can leave. However, if he impresses a shot at the 1st team could be on the cards.

[Tomo 21,751]

Keep him for a bit as we have plenty of games but if a club comes in who will guarantee him playing time, loan him out.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

There's just absolutely no room for him at Chelsea right now. If Chelsea sign Hulk, they will have Hazard, Mata, Hulk, Ramires, Sturridge, Marin, Malouda, Benayoun, and Meireles for 3 spots in the starting XI. (Ramires and Meireles could be options in a more defensive roles as well but Lampard, Mikel, and Romeu are options there as well). Even if Chelsea sell Malouda and Benayoun, we'd start off with Ramires, Sturridge, Marin, and Meireles on the bench. Kakuta is not going to play ahead of any of those guys and do we really want a 20-year old sitting in the stands all season? In addition to having no room for him, I doubt Kakuta is ready. He hardly set the world on fire last season and could definitely use more game time.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

If both Malouda and Benayoun leave, which is more than likely, I say keep him as 3rd choice for LW. If by Jan he is not getting any minutes, then send him on loan till the end of the season. I don't want to see him sold and turn into another Borini.

[manpe 10,861]

SeB's post in the other thread made me think twice about Kakuta. He has proven his vast football knowledge and he's been following Kakuta for a long time, he's convinced that Gael has a shit mentality. If Seb is right about him, then we should either sell him or loan him out in hope that he has a remotely successful loan, ups his price and gains more interest. I'll go with the neutral choice for now - loan.

[Justin_3d 1,140]

Loan unless he does amazing during the per-season and merits a shot at the team.

But other then that, with the team Chelsea is bringing he don't got a chance to be in it.

[dave30 728]

Terrible but with Hulk and Hazard he'll probably never get a look in at Chelsea again. What he deserves a crack at is a career in football and the only place he's going to get that is at another club.

[Styles 9,790]

Let him train and play with players like Mata and Hazard and see how he gets on until January.

He deserves a chance.

[RamiCFC9 258]

In some of his interviews he said he doesn't want to be loaned again.And about should we keep him or not, I have no idea, haven't watch him this season.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Let him train and play with players like Mata and Hazard and see how he gets on until January.

He deserves a chance.

Why? What has Kakuta done to deserve a shot at playing with the Champions of Europe? Forget about his awful attitude for a second, what, in terms of actual football, has Kakuta done to warrant a spot ahead of international players? Kakuta didn't score a goal in his last 7 matches for Dijon and then didn't even play the last 3 games. Yes, a team battling (and failing) to stay in the first division in France thought they were better off with Kakuta not playing, but he's good enough to play regularly for Chelsea? I have no idea how anyone could say that Kakuta has earned anything.

[Josh20 4]

In my opinion, he's never gonna get a regular starting spot here. He deserves more than sitting on the bench/spending every season on loan. Even at Bolton and Fulham he couldn't get into the starting lineup, and if he was a big talent that we need, he could have get more playing time there. So, i think, we should sell him.

[termninja 5,290]

Better make What would you do with Eva thread

I'm not sure what would I do with Gael since we still don't know which players will be bring, but with Hazard,Mata and Marin and potentially Hulk I can't see him getting lots of chances. Loan him I guess...

[Luke 60]

If he's not good enough for Fulham, Bolton, or Dijon, is he good enough for Chelsea? Ask yourself that.

Personally I don't think he's going to make it at Chelsea, depending on who leaves from the current squad (Malouda, Benayoun, Meireles), we could keep him as back up for 6 months, but I just don't see him breaking into our first team ever.

Sell him.

[Wilson 358]

Loan him out. He's still young with a lot to prove, will be a decent player though in the future.

[Paul1970 250]

swap him for a stretch armstrong....or a ka-plunk!!

[Japep 16]

I've read some interesting about Kakuta at TheChels.net:

[...]

Gael Kakuta really sparked this discussion earlier in the week on Twitter, and indeed over the course of the season. Consensus amongst Chelsea supporters was that he needed to go away, perform consistently and prove that he can play at the level required of first team footballers at Stamford Bridge.

Yet there’s a very strong argument that he’s been just that for a while, and is simply better placed after a relatively successful spell at Dijon because he’s shown the ability (at least in patches) to perform in top flight football.

[...]

Kakuta, like Bertrand, is ‘ready’ to play for Chelsea. At the age of almost 21, he’s not going to become much more than he is now, certainly not for a number of years. If and when he does, it will simply be a maturity which comes with experience.

He is what he is; a flair player, a luxury. Critics will be swift to note that he doesn’t defend with particular commitment, that he drifts out of games, that his right foot isn’t good.

If your team can accommodate such a player, and trust him to produce what he’s clearly capable of doing in attack, then he’s ‘ready’. You might equally match each of those flaws to a Juan Mata or a Daniel Sturridge – both are also luxury players, albeit better and more effective ones.

[...]

I think it is true, we should give him a chance to prove at least in the pre-season... and then, we'll see. No, the manager will see.

[Hutcho 8,443]

Definately loan him out, as several have stated already we have so many players in similar positions that realistically he probably wont get a look in. A loan season would give him the chance to stand out and show everyone what he can do... No point selling him, especially at his age... Give him the chance to prove himself in the prem then in the future a spot in the team may be waiting for him.

[Superblue 6,372]

It's difficult to assess exactly what he will become. Some players have left and done nothing since, some have done pretty well (Sinclair, Stoch, Borini) but still IMO would struggle to get games within our squad.

Kakuta certainly had talent and was our stand out player coming through the ranks at his age, but his development has stuttered. Now it's easy to blame the club for not giving him opportunities but we are talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world with some of the biggest expectations from both board and fans alike.

However he is still only 20. People seem to think that if you haven't broken into the first team in your teens you never will, but times are so different to what they were 10-20 years ago. The best case in point is Ryan Bertrand - only now starting to get a good run of games and really feeling part of the first team setup. He is 23 in August.

These lads have to be given time. If he's not prepared to go back out on loan and mature/gain experience then we may have no choice but to sell him. However both the player and club must remain patient, and hopefully something good will come of it.

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

I'd give him a swift boot in the plums and tell him to get his finger out and show why we went through so much crap to get him here in the first place.

He's promised so much but delivered hee haw.......Make or break season for him.