Chelsea's system of loaning out an excessive amount of young players is a 'dangerous' exercise and could lead to an increased amount of young retirements, according to former West Ham and Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce.

The Blues currently have 34 players on the loan and this past off-season saw them lose academy graduates Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Ake, who left the club to seek regular playing time.

And Allardyce believes the loan system will increase the number of players who become disinterested in football altogether.

"You haven't seen a player break into the Chelsea side from the academy for I don't know how many years," said Allardyce on Sky Sports.

"It's blocking up a system here that's very, very dangerous for me.

"These players will finally finish their five and six-year contracts and move out of football rather than stay in it.

"They've gone through the process and never broke into that team.

"Probably, yes (they will be wealthy), but they won't be wealthy enough to live the rest of their lives.

"They won't realise that at that age though, because you need to earn an awful lot of money by the time you're 21, 22 to carry on living on that."