Reports: Chelsea youngster Gael Kakuta set to join Rayo Vallecano on one year loan deal

Gaël Kakuta has made only 12 appearances for Chelsea during his entire career, the last of which came back in 2010.

Chelsea’s 23 year old French midfielder Gaël Kakuta is close to signing for La Liga side Rayo Vallecano, according to reports in France.

Once touted as the “future of Chelsea" by Carlo Ancelotti, Kakuta has seen his stock dwindle in recent years. After failing to make a mark at Stamford Bridge, he has been loaned out five times during his seven years at the club.

Kakuta, who played last season on loan at Lazio, was linked to early summer with Sporting Lisbon. Finally, Rayo Vallecano seems to have jumped to the front of the queue in regards to recruiting Kakuta, who has represented France in all age groups.

Kakuta joined the Blues in 2007 as a highly-rated youngster. His transfer was however, met with controversy.

Chelsea’s efforts to secure his services from his French club, RC Lens even resulted in the then teenager being banned for four months and fined €780,000 due to a breach of contract with his old club Lens by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber in 2009.

Chelsea themselves were banned from singing any new player for the next two transfer windows. However, those decisions were swiftly overturned upon appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Kakuta had been on loan to Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem in search of regular first team football since 2012. But even there, Kakuta has seen his opportunities come down rapidly. All twelve of his Eredivise appearances last season for Vitesse came from the bench.

After a year and a half with Vitesse, Kakuta was recalled, only to be loaned out again in January to Lazio. The Rome club however let Kakuta get back to his parent club at the end of last season, after the Frenchman was able to secure only five minutes of playing time at the Italian capital.