Chelsea have developed a phenomenal amount of talent in their academy over the years. We’ve seen players go on to be a great success both at Stamford Bridge and elsewhere.
But some truly special talents have slipped through the net too – Jamal Musiala is the prime example right now, as he breaks out into the Bayern Munich and Germany teams and becomes the superstar he was always touted to be when coming through at Cobham.
It looks like there could be a similar case coming down the pipeline – the star of our under 16 group Rio Ngumoha has not signed a new contract, and his current deal expires this summer.
An exclusive from TheSecretScout on Twitter claims that the wonderkid is attracting attention from “a number of clubs in the Premier League” and that “European clubs have also made contact.”
It doesn’t sound good, at all. And there’s not much Chelsea can do. They can offer all the money in the world, if Ngumoha thnks he’s got a better pathway to first team action elsewhere, he’s likely to take it. He will get the payday eventually either way.
🚨 EXCL – Chelsea face battle to keep 15-year-old Rio Ngumoha, as contract talks stall. A number of clubs in the Premier League waiting to make an approach as his contract expires this summer. #CFC #Chelseafc
European clubs have also made contact
BOOM 💥 SOON 👀… pic.twitter.com/V9Rwy9eu1l
— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) June 6, 2024
An important lesson to learn
This sort of thing is always going to be a problem when the club consistently fail to provide a clear pathway to the first team for all of their brilliant academy youngsters. This has been an issue under both the old ownership and the new, and under all manner of managers.
If those at the top really want to make us into a self-sustaining money making machine competing for Europe’s top trophies, the first step is to ensure the young talents we’re producing stay with the club. After that they can worry more about bringing new ones in.
Losing the truly exceptional kids like Musiala and Ngumoha is what will really hurt us down the line.
