Chelsea have been plunged into turmoil with the ongoing developments regarding their future ownership.
Given the sanctions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich, the club could be forced to rethink their transfer strategy if those restrictions remain in place for the summer and the club are prevented from buying players.
The UK government will review it's measures against billionaire owner Abramovich, who has had his assets frozen, at the end of May.
But if the sanctions are not removed then Chelsea may well be forced to look to their deep army of loanees for help next season.
Here, Mirror Sport takes a look at five players currently out on loan in the English Football League (EFL), across the Championship and League One, who could be catapulted into the first-team set-up.
Which of these players stands the best chance of breaking into the first team at Chelsea next season? Let us know in the comments
Nathan Baxter
Goalkeeper is perhaps one of the areas where Chelsea are well-stocked but nevertheless, Baxter has done himself little harm this season.
The stopper is currently out of action with a hand injury but before that he posted 14 outings on loan at Hull City.
Baxter had to initially bide his time after only being handed a league debut away at Barnsley in November.
The 23-year-old is actually in his seventh separate loan spell away from the Blues, who he joined at the age of eight.
Speaking earlier this season about his ambitions at Chelsea, he said: “To train with people like Thibaut Courtois, Asmir Begović, Willy Cabellero, and in most recent years Kepa (Arrizabalaga) and Édouard Mendy, you learn and take little bits off each goalkeeper, because they’re all very different.
"I like to think I have included a little bit of people’s games into my own.”
Levi Colwill
Centre-half Colwill is considered a hugely bright prospect at Stamford Bridge.
He is only 19 and is enjoying a fine season on loan at Championship high-fliers Huddersfield Town.
Colwill has scored two goals in 24 appearances for the Terriers and has been praised by manager Carlos Corberan for his maturity despite his tender age.
Corberan said: "He’s a very young player with a lot of things he is doing fantastically, and other things he needs to continue improving.
“I think he’s going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future.
"Some of the things I saw from him before he started working with us. I am watching a player with a fast-growing development."
Colwill may well fancy following in the footsteps of Trevoh Chalobah, who also enjoyed a temporary spell at Huddersfield before breaking into the Chelsea first team.
Danny Drinkwater
The forgotten man of Stamford Bridge.
Drinkwater, let us not forget, is a Premier League title-winner with Leicester City. That form persuaded Chelsea to fork out £30million for him in 2017 but he has played just 23 times in all competitions.
He was sent to Reading in September and has been a constant for the Royals.
Despite his Chelsea contract expiring in the summer, the Blues may well be keen to keep him on board if the worst comes to the worst and they are unable to bring new players in.
Speaking earlier this season, Drinkwater said: "I'm in the last year of my contract, so there's more than just football riding on it. I've got other things.
"I'm desperate for games, I know my position and I know it's not what I've expected for ten years.
"So I've got to make changes and I'm making the right steps. I've just got to keep in contact with the manager, trust each other and trust the team."
Mason Burstow
Aged just 18, forward Burstow was signed by Chelsea on February 1.
He was immediately loaned back to his former club Charlton Athletic and has so far scored six goals in 22 appearances.
That represents a healthy return in his first season in senior football.
Charlton striker Jayden Stockley has been a regular partner with Burstow this season and expects big things from the youngster.
“The confidence he shows – I wish I had at that age.
"Albeit he’s missed a couple of chances but he keeps going. His movement is second to none. It was the first time I played with him today - I realised how athletic he is.
“Those defining moments, where he’s had a chance here and there. He’ll become accustomed. Missing those chances will do him the world of good. He’s a lovely lad. I noticed his talent early on in pre-season. I can’t speak highly enough of his attitude."
Tino Anjorin
Anjorin has enjoyed a topsy-turvy campaign. He spent the first half of the season out in Russia on loan at Lokomotiv Moscow.
He made just eight appearances, including scoring in the Europa League before he suffered a broken metatarsal in November.
He was then despatched on loan to Huddersfield in January and so far appeared four times, all from off the bench. He had a shot cleared off the line in injury time against West Brom last week.
Carlos Corberan said of Anjorin: "He’s a player that was a long long time without playing football games because of the injury.
"Now he’s playing minutes and I think he’s growing with the minutes he’s playing, and at the same time the fact he’s not playing too much allows him to train more and he needs to train more to be able to play more."
The 20-year-old already has his Premier League debut under his belt, having come off the bench for a 20-minute cameo against Everton in early 2020.
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