No pressure approach key, says Chelsea executive on big bucks signing of Czech teen

One of the most keenly watched players in the Czech league this season will be defender Tomáš Kalas. Though the 17-year-old has only made one appearance for Sigma Olomouc, some of Europe’s top clubs were tracking him and he has now joined England’s Chelsea in a deal that will see him move to London next year and could net Olomouc USD 8 million. I discussed the signing of Tomáš Kalas with Chelsea’s sporting director Frank Arnesen, who was in Prague on Thursday.

Tomáš Kalas, photo: CTK

“At his level, at his age, he has all the talents in every department, which can help him to become a very, very good player.”

He will spend one year on loan at Sigma Olomouc and then join Chelsea at the age of 18. Isn’t that very young to join such a big club? And realistically speaking what are his chances of being a first team regular in, say, five or six years’ time?

“With young players you always have to be careful because young players are talents, you have to give them time to develop. I always say between 18 and 22 you’re full up in development…so when he comes to us his development really starts as a senior player.

“Therefore one thing that is good is that he can stay here and play senior football, which will be a very big advantage for him, and then he comes to us. One thing that is very important is that he has no pressure. He will come to us and play with the reserves and join in with first team training, and this and that.

“Then slowly…you never know how fast he can go…but first of all don’t put a time on it and don’t put pressure on him, just let him follow the programme and then we’ll see when the time is right.”

Has the great success of Petr Čech at Chelsea made Czech players more attractive to the club?

“Yeah, of course. Always if you get players in and you succeed with them you go for more. If you see Petr Čech, he’s an unbelievable professional, apart from the fact he has a great talent…That’s why we’re looking into the Czech market.”

Tomáš Kalas, Frank Arnesen, photo: CTK

Is this deal part of some bigger co-operation between Sigma Olomouc and Chelsea?

“When you do something like this you try first of all to do the deal. And if the deal is done in the right spirit, which it was in this matter, we try to help each other. In the coming years I hope we can help them, first of all with Tomáš playing for them – and they will help us by playing him.

“Then there will be some visits. Coaches will come to us and they are very welcome to look into our programmes, especially obviously our youth programmes. So hopefully it will be a very good friendship for a long time.”