Seven Cobham prospects are on tour in Australia with Xabi Alonso – and for some of them, this pre-season isn’t just an audition, it’s a genuine opportunity to stake a claim in a Chelsea first team that still has plenty of open questions to answer.
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BBC Sport‘s Nizaar Kinsella has profiled the seven academy players who have travelled with Chelsea’s 26-man squad to Australia, where the Blues face Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham. Almost all of them have been involved throughout Alonso’s first two weeks in charge, featuring in behind-closed-doors wins against Crawley Town and Bromley. The caveat is real – if World Cup players return during the Asian leg, some of these youngsters could be sent back to London. But for now, they’re in the room.
Emenalo leads the way – and the pathway at left-back is genuinely open
The name on everyone’s lips is Landon Emenalo. The 18-year-old son of former technical director Michael Emenalo has reportedly played more minutes than any other player in the first two matches, operating at left-back despite previously playing primarily in midfield. With Marc Cucurella now at Real Madrid, that position needs filling – and Emenalo appears to have identified the opportunity and seized it.
Frankly, the detail that he has carried out extensive video analysis of Alonso’s methods tells you something about the mentality. He first trained with the first team under Pochettino in 2023 and is now working under his fourth permanent manager. He told the camp: “I hope I can make my mark on the first team and leave a good impression. Then, for the season in general, I think I need to be playing in a professional environment because I think I have played enough youth football for a lifetime.” Hard to argue with that.
Then there is Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, who at just 16 is arguably the most exciting raw talent on the tour. He became the youngest-ever starter and goalscorer in the UEFA Youth League last season and has consistently played above his age group. Alonso himself has been effusive, calling him “one of the talents that we need to develop” with “special qualities that you don’t often see for a 16-year-old.” Chelsea are so keen to secure him long-term that a new contract will be signed when he turns 17 in January – the club saw off competition from leading French sides to get that done. The tour of Australia is a homecoming of sorts too, with his mother being Australian.
Reggie Walsh, already four first-team appearances deep including becoming our youngest-ever player in European competition, is the most senior name of the group. He spent the summer working on his physical development and reportedly won the bleep test ahead of several senior players. That kind of detail matters – Alonso’s sides are built on fitness and intensity, and Walsh is clearly taking that seriously. You can read more about the competitive environment these players are stepping into over at our coverage of Jamie Gittens and the pre-season picture under Alonso.
The others in the group – and who isn’t there
Calvin Diakite, 17, is already being compared to Marc Guehi – a vocal, athletic centre-back who excels one-on-one and in possession. His teammate Tayo Subuloye, 18, offers a more physical profile and captained Chelsea Under-18s to a 5-1 national final victory over Manchester City. Both have real promise, though the depth of options ahead of them in the centre-back positions means loan moves may be more likely than first-team breakthroughs this season.
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, 17, is the only attacker from the academy on the trip and rounds out the group. Thirteen goals and four assists in 26 youth appearances last season, plus four goals for England Under-17s against Germany – the kid can finish. Chelsea worked hard to keep him, particularly after losing Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool in 2024. It’s notable that Marcel Desailly has spoken about Alonso’s specific mandate to develop young talent at the club – that framing matters when you see how much trust is being shown in this group so early.
The notable omissions tell their own story. Shim Mhueka isn’t travelling because his loan future is tied up with contract renewal talks, with a permanent exit still not ruled out. Genesis Antwi faces similar uncertainty. Harrison McMahon and Ollie Harrison appear to have been passed over in midfield, with loan moves looking likely for both. Mathis Eboue, Leo Cardoso and Ibrahim Rabbaj are also absent in attack. For context on how Chelsea are building the wider pipeline, our coverage of Harrison Bettoni’s move to Wigan shows how the club is managing development across multiple levels simultaneously.
The truth is, for most of these seven, Australia represents their best chance to make a real impression before the squad fills up. We’re backing them to take it. We’ll take it.
In other news…
Marcel Desailly on what Xabi Alonso’s arrival means for Chelsea’s young talent.
Harrison Bettoni’s loan to Wigan – another piece of Chelsea’s development strategy under Alonso.
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