Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer predicted that Juan Castillo would go back to Chelsea with a greater skill set than when he left.
Speaking to the media (as quoted by the club website), Bowyer gave a lowdown of what Castillo can bring to the Blues.
The 21-year-old signed for Birmingham on a season-long loan from Chelsea to gain some top-flight experience in England.
He joined the Stamford Bridge side in 2016 from Ajax and gradually worked his way up the youth ranks.
After signing his first professional contract three years after his arrival, the Dutchman returned to Ajax for a campaign.
Castillo then represented AZ Alkmaar’s first and reserve teams before coming back to Chelsea in January.
Castillo cast out
With very little room in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the wing-back, he jumped down a league to land at Birmingham.
“Juan is going to bring us pace, he used to be a winger and Chelsea have converted him into a wing-back,” said Bowyer.
“He is very quick and direct. Juan has strengths and weaknesses, like every player.
“He is another one that I believe when he goes back to Chelsea, we will have improved him, and he will be a better player.”
Like many youngsters to come off the Cobham construction line, Castillo will be hoping his chance at Chelsea is only around the corner.
Based on past evidence, this is not typically the case.
Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James, and Fikayo Tomori are rare examples of those who were sent away and still broke into the senior set-up.
Many Chelsea prodigies are packed off on loan and aren’t recalled for a long time, often indefinitely.
Marc Guehi and Tomori are examples of this, having recently signed for Crystal Palace and AC Milan respectively.
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