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IT’S all been concerning the youngsters at Chelsea since Frank Lampard’s appointment.
Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Reece James have all benefitted massively underneath the membership legend’s stewardship.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard isn’t afraid to provide youth an opportunity at Stamford BridgeCredit score: EPA
However this can be a membership who’ve been recognized for nabbing and nurturing a few of English soccer’s best, just for them to fail to make the grade.
SunSport takes a glance again at seven of probably the most memorable boy wonders who shone vivid early on earlier than burning out.
GAEL KAKUTA
The identify will stay synonymous with off-field controversy at Stamford Bridge, however Kakuta was as soon as the brightest younger factor on the membership.
Chelsea have been hit with a 16-month switch ban by Fifa in 2009 for allegedly inducing Kakuta to interrupt his contract with French membership Lens in 2007.
The transfer seemed to be value it as Kakuta received Academy Participant of the 12 months, completed prime scorer for the youth aspect and received the U19 European Championship with France.
When he made his first-team debut in 2009 after a four-month ban from Fifa, a Mail on Sunday article was headlined: “Chelsea’s new marvel boy value all of the fuss”.
A decade later, Kakuta signed with French membership Amiens in what’s the thirteenth skilled membership of his profession.
Gael Kakuta signed with Chelsea in 2007 however is now on mortgage at Rens from Amiens
The 29-year-old went out on mortgage to 6 golf equipment throughout six years with Chelsea’s first-team earlier than ultimately transferring on to Sevilla.
There have been a few years in China and a return to Spain earlier than switching to France.
Embarrassingly, Kakuta was embroiled in a courtroom case in 2014 when a broke former footballer masqueraded as him to fund a luxurious life-style.
Medi Abalimba was jailed after racking up big payments in resorts and nightclubs pretending to be the Chelsea star.
Kakuta joined Amiens in 2019 and is now spending the marketing campaign on mortgage with Lens.
JOSH MCEACHRAN
Again in 2010, a 17-year-old McEachran emerged because the brightest younger expertise within the Chelsea academy.
The Blues fought off the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United to sign the teenager.
McEachran was anticipated to evolve from starlet to star at Chelsea and, in flip, be the successor to Lampard’s crown in midfield.
Josh McEachran was anticipated to change into a Chelsea famous person and had an ill-fated spell at Brentford
Then England U21s boss Stuart Pearce mentioned: “He’s received a very excellent expertise, much like Jack Wilshere, and it bodes effectively for England.
“If Josh and Jack have been carrying Spanish shirts, you’d revere them.”
The arrival of Andre Villas-Boas to Stamford Bridge in 2011 introduced an finish to McEachran’s development and he sought alternatives on mortgage.
He was despatched out to 5 golf equipment in three years, from Watford to Wigan, however struggled to settle at any.
In 2015, he broke freed from Chelsea’s mortgage military and joined Brentford on a everlasting deal, a transfer which had highs and lows till his launch final summer season.
McEachran, now 27, is taking part in for Birmingham Metropolis.
BERTRAND TRAORE
The repercussions of Traore’s transfer to Chelsea in 2013 was felt final summer season at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard’s incapacity to make any signings when the Blues have been slapped with a switch ban was as a consequence of Traore’s arrival again in 2013.
Bertrand Traore ended up taking part in simply 16 occasions for Chelsea
Traore’s transfer to Chelsea was one of many key parts in Fifa’s evidence as part of an investigation into the club’s signing of foreign players under the age of 18.
Fifa mentioned it discovered breaches in 29 instances out of the 92 investigated.
Ultimately, Traore performed simply 16 occasions for Chelsea and departed for Lyon in an £8.8m transfer in 2017.
In France, he impressed scoring 21 objectives in 87 video games for the membership.
His return to type earned Traore a summer season transfer to Aston Villa for a price believed to be round £17million the place he’s beginning to discover his toes within the Premier League.
SLOBODAN RAJKOVIC
When a 16-year-old Rajkovic signed for Chelsea in 2005, it was seen as an enormous coup.
The centre-back, tipped to succeed John Terry in defence, had spent the earlier summer season at Arsenal’s youth camp.
Nearly all of Europe’s huge beasts have been trying to signal the gifted defender, together with Man United, Actual Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan and Monaco.
A piece allow stalled Rajkovic’s development at Chelsea so he was despatched to Holland on mortgage, to PSV, Twente after which Vitesse Arnhem.
Slobodan Rajkovic was wished by Europe’s greatest golf equipment and loved a stint at Palermo
Villas-Boas gave the Serbian centre-back his first begin for Chelsea, in a behind-closed-doors pleasant towards Wycombe Wanderers in 2011.
The identical yr Rajkovic was offered to Hamburg in a £1.8m deal.
His profession by no means actually ignited, making simply 42 appearances for the German aspect in 4 years.
Rajkovic spent three years with Italian membership Palermo however was launched after they completed backside of Serie B.
The boy as soon as wished by all is now plying his commerce in Russia with FC Lokomotiv Moscow.
DOMINIC SOLANKE
Jose Mourinho made it clear how a lot potential Solanke had at Chelsea.
Again in 2014, in his second stint as Stamford Bridge boss, Mourinho named Solanke in an inventory of gamers who can be representing their nations in just a few years.
“On this second, we now have gamers who shall be Chelsea gamers. And after they change into Chelsea gamers, they’ll change into England gamers, nearly for certain,” Mourinho mentioned.
Fairly comprehensible given Solanke success within the youth ranks.
He was England’s Youth Participant of the 12 months in 2014, Chelsea’s Academy Participant of the 12 months the next season and earned his first-team debut aged simply 17.
Solanke was Chelsea’s academy star striker however ended up being offered to Liverpool earlier than becoming a member of Bournemouth
Solanke was the prolific goalscorer who helped Chelsea to successive FA Youth Cups in 2014 and 2015, in addition to a Uefa Youth League.
However two years in the past, on the age of 19, Solanke opted for a brand new starting having not seen first-team alternatives come his means.
He headed for Merseyside with Liverpool the place he made 21 appearances in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team however solely scored on the ultimate day of the 2017-18 season.
Bournemouth forked out a whopping £19m for the 23-year-old final yr and he’s a key a part of their aspect who’re pushing for promotion from the Championship.
ISLAM FERUZ
Liverpool star Andrew Robertson as soon as described Feruz, his then team-mate at Celtic, because the “golden boy” of the Scottish youth soccer.
Feruz was plucked away by Chelsea in 2011, aged 15, to be one other star on the membership’s Cobham academy.
However such promise did not translate into success for the striker as he was despatched out on mortgage to Crete, Blackpool, Hibernian, Royal Excel Mouscron and Swindon City.
Islam Feruz is now with out a membership having been referred to as the ‘golden boy’ of Scottish soccer
And when his contract at Chelsea got here to an finish in 2017 he was launched.
Regardless of solely being 25 years outdated, Feruz has been with out a membership since and arrange a baseball cap model within the meantime.
Over 5 years as a Blues participant, and despatched on as many loans, Feruz made simply 20 skilled appearances and scored no objectives.
Chelsea deemed the striker, as soon as the darling of Scottish youth soccer, to have misplaced his potential.
