Tammy Abraham has defended Chelsea's academy, describing it as a "fantastic place for young kids" to prosper.

Over the years, many talented youngsters have come through the ranks at Stamford Bridge, but some critics believe that they are not given the chance to break into the first team.

The Blues currently have upwards of 25 players out on loan, while other young prospects, such as Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Chalobah, have signed for other clubs permanently.

Chalobah, who joined Watford for a reported £5m fee earlier this month, had said in an interview that, had he stayed put at Chelsea, he "would have signed a new deal, gone out on loan again and got frustrated".

However, Abraham - currently on loan at Swansea City - had kinder words to say about the West London club's academy.

"Chelsea is a fantastic place for young kids. They develop you, work you hard, and you can see they have top-class talent all around the world," he told Sky Sports News.

"For me it's the right place to be. I have always wanted to play for Chelsea as a young kid so it would be nice to get into that team one day."

Abraham has been with Chelsea since the age of seven and made his first-team debut in a draw at Liverpool in May 2016, clocking up two senior appearances for the Blues so far.