‘That’s the message’: Manager admits he’d love to sign 23-year-old from Chelsea permanently this summer

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Hully City manager Shota Arveladze has revealed his desire to turn Nathan Baxter’s loan spell from Chelsea into a long-term one.

As quoted by Hull Live, Arveladze made it clear that he wanted to extend the young goalkeeper’s stay but quite some distance once his current contract expires.

Nathan Baxter the Blue

Baxter has been with the Tigers since last summer, following stints at Accrington Stanley, Ross County, Yeovil Town and two National League sides.

He joined Chelsea at the age of eight, rising through the ranks but is yet to make a senior appearance for the club.

Like so many who have walked a similar path, the majority of his career has been spent away from Stamford Bridge.

Initially, it seemed like Baxter had made the wrong decision to join Hull.

The 23-year-old didn’t play a single minute in the Championship until the beginning of November.

But following a run of five straight league defeats, conceding seven in the process, first-choice ‘keeper Matt Ingram was dropped to the bench by then-coach Grant McCann.

This allowed Ingram’s understudy to take the gloves and showcase his talents.

Will Nathan go Baxter Chelsea?

Baxter certainly justified McCann’s decision by keeping three clean sheets in his first three fixtures.

He remained in between the sticks until February, when injury and illness made him miss 14 games in total.

Arveladze recalled the Chelsea academy product last weekend to face Millwall away and will be hoping to do so on many more occasions next season.

“Look, if we were not open to signing him permanently, I would not play him, that’s the message to everyone that we’re happy and we want him,” he said on Baxter’s future.

“We’re happy with the goalkeepers, that’s the way it is. But again, there are two parts to the wheel. I hope he wants to be with us and Chelsea have to decide what they want to do with him.”

Ingram is actually out of contract in June, meaning Arveladze’s urge to tie down at least one of his goalies is understandable.

There isn’t much chance of Baxter returning to Cobham once this campaign concludes, so the Hull boss might just receive the present he is after.

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