EFL manager suggests he wants to re-sign ‘incredible’ Chelsea loanee again next season

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A Chelsea loanee has made a really positive impact since joining a club in the English Football League midway through the season, so it’s no major surprise to hear it suggested the Championship side want to re-sign him this summer.

In Chelsea’s history, particularly in recent years, many Blues stars have developed so much during successful loan spells.

During this 2024/25 campaign, there are many Chelsea-owned players enjoying loan spells away from Stamford Bridge.

For instance, Andrey Santos and Djordje Petrovic have been outstanding at sister club Strasbourg in France. In fact, Chelsea plan to use Santos at the Club World Cup in the upcoming summer tournament.

Like most seasons, there are also Chelsea individuals developing lower down the football ladder in the English Football League. It certainly proved to be a great path for the likes of Reece James and Levi Colwill in the past.

• READ MORE: Enzo Maresca makes Andrey Santos claim after Chelsea youngster’s excellent season at Strasbourg

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett suggests he wants to re-sign Alex Matos

Alex Matos, who’s been on Chelsea’s books since 2023, left the Blues in January to join Oxford United on loan for the rest of this season. He’s playing an important role in their fight to stay in the Championship, too.

Since joining Oxford in the New Year, the versatile midfielder has racked up the minutes during the second half of the campaign.

Oxford manager Gary Rowett has now suggested that on-loan midfielder Matos is in his thoughts for the upcoming summer transfer window, but he refused to go into too much detail about possibly signing the Chelsea talent.

When asked about Matos’ future, particularly if Oxford secure Championship safety, Rowett responded via Oxford Mail: “All I’d say is he’s the sort of player that I think he’s shown incredible energy. You can see clearly that he’s very good at winning the ball off the opposition, and I think he’s very versatile.

“I’ve been really pleased with him. He gives us good energy. What the future holds for him, I don’t know, but of course anybody who does well for us, they’re always going to be in your thoughts for the summer window, but that’s a long way off for me at the moment.”

Matos has impressed for Oxford as he tries to help keep them in the second tier.

With two league games left, Oxford’s future is in their own hands as they attempt to retain their Championship status for another season. Incidentally, they play Swansea City (11th) and Sunderland (4th) in their remaining matches.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
14	NorwichNorwich	44	13	14	17	67	66	1	53
15	QPRQPR	44	13	14	17	52	58	-6	53
16	PortsmouthPortsmouth	44	14	10	20	56	69	-13	52
17	Stoke CityStoke City	44	12	14	18	45	60	-15	50
18	PrestonPreston	44	10	19	15	45	55	-10	49
19	Oxford UnitedOxford United	44	12	13	19	44	62	-18	49
20	Hull CityHull City	44	12	12	20	43	52	-9	48
21	DerbyDerby	44	12	10	22	47	56	-9	46
22	LutonLuton	44	12	10	22	41	64	-23	46
23	CardiffCardiff	44	9	16	19	46	69	-23	43
24	PlymouthPlymouth	44	10	13	21	48	85	-37	43

Chelsea should aim to sell Alex Matos this summer

Even though we admire the athleticism and work rate of Matos, we’re not sure he’ll ever break into the Chelsea squad on a permanent basis.

The reality is that the Blues’ midfield options are only getting stronger with the arrival of Santos and Dario Essugo next season.

As it stands, Matos is out of contract at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2026. Therefore, they should attempt to sell him at the end of the season, perhaps to Oxford, as he prepares to enter the final year of his deal.

Matos trained with Chelsea’s first team in the first half of the season under Enzo Maresca. He played two first-team games for the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino as well.

However, Matos is someone we suspect can carve out a strong career for himself in the Championship.