Vitesse Arnhem technical director Johannes Spors insists their relationship with Chelsea remains rock solid.

For the first time since 2010, Vitesse have not taken a player on-loan from Chelsea this season. However, Spors insists the relationship with the Blues remains strong.

He told De Gelderlander: “What's called: excellent. Nothing has changed about our relationship. We still have the same focus and working method and there is frequent contact. We have seen in recent years that a loan programme can have value for both clubs.

"We have drawn up profiles for new players at Vitesse. We also spoke again with Chelsea about the loan options. But in the end, no match was found this season.

“As in previous years, we looked at various options," explained Spors. “Everything has to do with positions, qualities and the arrival of players from other clubs. So the course of events says nothing about our relationship with Chelsea."