In youth football, it’s currently the time of year when plans are being finalised for next season’s squads.
This, in many cases, can mean securing overseas talent to supplement the home-grown academy products, and news from Sweden this weekend suggests Chelsea have made a deal.
Sixteen year-old midfielder Anjur Osmanovic has claimed that he is now a Chelsea player, currently training with the Under-16s ahead of a scholarship in the summer.
Aftonbladet today ran a piece with the youngster, in which Osmanovic explains the situation:
“Right now I’m training with my own age group but I should move up to the Under-18s soon.”
“If I want to play at an elite level I had to move to another country. There was interest from England and I chose Chelsea.”
“There’s a big difference, the quality is much better and I can develop further.”
“I’ll be playing in the Premier League in two years.”
Osmanovic, who turned 16 in November, currently plays for Larje-Angereds in his native country. Many will note that this is not the first time Chelsea have made moves for a player from this particular team.
Amin Affane, a first year scholar currently on the academy’s books, also played for the Angered team, and something of a relationship appears to have been struck between the clubs.
In a recent matchday programme, coaches from Sweden were shown in a feature regarding an extravagant John Terry tattoo whilst they were on an exchange visit as part of Chelsea’s wider reach and influence.
Anjur’s profile on their official website suggests he is remarkably small, but further research suggests that those numbers may be quite dated. In any respect, however, he is smaller in stature than the average player.
His strengths include passing, technique and fighting spirit, whilst he admits that his temper can sometimes become a weakness.
Youth team coach Frankie Boakye, who has overseen the transfers of Affane and now Osmanovic, commented on his latest protege:
“There are normal players, and then there are those who have that little bit extra.”
“Anjur is definitely one of those. He is what I call a class player. He has a football brain and makes wise decisions at such a young age.
Moreover, he loves to train…Anjur radiates energy and always wants to learn.”
Further information is sure to emerge on the deal in the coming weeks and months, but for now, welcome to Chelsea Amjur!