Crystal Palace sign Chelsea defender Chalobah on loan

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Trevoh Chalobah made his Chelsea debut in 2021

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah has joined Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal.

The 25-year-old was given permission to leave the club after being left out of the club's pre-season tour of the United States.

Chalobah was also not selected in any of Enzo Maresca's squads for Chelsea's first four matches this season.

The defender's move was announced on Saturday morning but was completed before the transfer window closed at 11pm BST on Friday night.

"I'm delighted to join an ambitious club like Crystal Palace," said Chalobah.

"I know some of the boys in the squad well and I'm looking forward to playing alongside them in front of the amazing support at Selhurst Park."

The defender made 17 appearances for the club last season under Mauricio Pochettino, having been handed his debut by Thomas Tuchel in 2021.

Chalobah could form a centre-back partnership with Marc Guehi, who remained at Selhurst Park this summer despite interest from Newcastle United.

The Eagles also signed Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal and Maxence Lacroix from Wolfsburg on deadline day, following the departures of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich and Joachim Andersen to Fulham earlier in the window. Striker Odsonne Edouard also left Palace to join Leicester City on loan for the season.

Chalobah was one of four Chelsea players to leave the club on season-long loan deals on deadline day.

Forward Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal, Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic moved to Strasbourg and Everton signed striker Armando Broja.

Chelsea completed a season-long loan deal for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, which includes an obligation to buy in 2025.

'He should fit in seamlessly' - analysis

Nizaar Kinsella, 大象传媒 Sport football news reporter

It feels like Trevoh Chalobah will be a guaranteed hit in south London. He should fit in seamlessly at Palace as he knows the Premier League, some of his new team-mates and will not even need to move house.

Then there is the fact he was one of Chelsea鈥檚 best performers during their late season revival under Mauricio Pochettino after returning from injury.

He will also breathe a huge sigh of relief after being stuck in the "loan squad" group, with little prospect of playing under new manager Enzo Maresca.

There was real peril in getting the move over the line as the deal sheet was submitted just before the 23:00 BST deadline, before the move went through at around 00:30 on Saturday morning.

Chalobah can now focus on using his Palace platform to stake his claim for an England place, prove some at Chelsea wrong, and get a big permanent move next summer.