Chelsea are considering recalling Jake Clarke-Salter from his loan spell at Birmingham City in January, amid interest in him from other Championship clubs, according to The Independent. 

The 22-year-old joined Birmingham on a season-long loan deal in the summer, but he really struggled to make an impact for the Blues at first and managed just two appearances in the first three months of the season.

This changed last month when a suspension to captain Harlee Dean presented Clarke-Salter with the opportunity to have a run of games in the side.

He's now started the last four matches for the Blues in the Championship and scored his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw with Millwall at St Andrew's at the weekend.

However - according to The Independent - Clarke-Salter's impressive performances in recent games have attracted interest from other Championship clubs ahead of January transfer window.

It is understood that Chelsea are monitoring the defender's situation at Birmingham very closely and if he's unable to hold down a place in the side, they are considering recalling him in January before sending him out on loan elsewhere.

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The Verdict

This is a very interesting situation. Clarke-Salter is clearly a talented footballer and he could have a very big future ahead of him at Chelsea.

Obviously, they want him to gain as much experience as possible, so if they feel he will benefit from playing regularly elsewhere then that's what they will do.

However, Clarke-Salter has impressed in recent matches and with Marc Roberts set to face time on the sidelines through injury, he's likely to keep his place in the team, so it'll be very interesting to see whether this impacts Chelsea's decision.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.