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One of the most persistent bits of news that we've been seeing recently is that Bolton Wanderers due a loan (shocking, I know) from European Champions Chelsea. Apparently, as part of the Gary Cahill switch last winter, Bolton included a player loan clause in the contract that would see the London side send one of theirs to us. Two names have been bouncing around as of late in Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku with the former seeming the more likely candidate.
To date in Owen Coyle's Bolton tenure, Chelsea loans have a 50% success rate with Daniel Sturridge's stint being incredible and Gael Kakuta's far from it.
Romeu moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2011 from FC Barcelona after they deemed him surplus in a deal worth about €5 million. Romeu signed a four-year deal with the Blues. In his first season season with the club, he made appearances in the Carling Cup, FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League, helping them win the FA Cup and Champions League trophy. However, with the quality of the players ahead of him, it's unlikely that Romeu would play more than a bit part in Chelsea's 2012/13 campaign.
Manager Roberto Di Matteo will likely look to keep Romeu growing by sending him to Owen Coyle's finishing school now located in the Championship. Romeu would help bolster a still weak Bolton defense. That is, however, if Barcelona don't take him back first. As part of Romeu's switch, Barcelona were reportedly given a buy-back clause in the contract. A report in the Daily Mail says that the Catalan side are interested in bringing the 20-year-old back.
We certainly hope that the loan switch does happen as Romeu is young but already has a lot of experience in a lot of big games. The central midfielder, who can operate in a central defensive role (kind of a reverse Tim Ream),would boost the Trotters' defensive and midfield ability while building confidence for himself.