In the latest of what is now an annual casting of the net far and wide across Europe in a bid to snare the finest young talent ahead of schedule, Chelsea are close to sealing a deal for 15 year-old Polish playmaker Hubert Adamczyk. A small and versatile playmaker who favours playing just behind the forward, Adamczyk has had several trial periods with the Blues’ academy throughout 2013, culminating with…
A pair of penalties from Thorgan Hazard and Christian Atsu maintained the streak of a Chelsea loanee scoring in every week of the 2013-14 season, and the duo therefore headline the latest installment of the Loan Report. Headliners We begin with Atsu and Vitesse, who finished the weekend as the Eredivisie leaders after a 3-1 win over Utrecht on Saturday night. The Ghanaian played 90 minutes in a central attacking…
The draw for the Third Round of the FA Youth Cup was made today and, like the parent competition at senior level, the big clubs enter the fray as they embark upon another campaign for the country’s most prestigious junior age group trophy. Chelsea have been drawn at home to one of four non-league clubs, with either Grays Athletic, Uxbridge, Dartford or Christchurch set to take on a team which…
Chelsea maintained their 100% record in the UEFA Youth League and booked their place in the knockout rounds early next year after beating Schalke 1-0 at Aldershot’s Electrical Services Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. In a game which lacked a great deal of quality for large chunks, it was a moment of genuine brilliance that decided things as Lewis Baker’s free kick early in the first half proved enough to take…
It was a rare quiet week on the loan front, particularly over this weekend, as our regular headline acts almost all failed to find the back of the net. The streak of a Chelsea loanee scoring in every week of the club season to date was continued in midweek however, with the reliable Thorgan Hazard weighing in with a goal and French playmaker Gael Kakuta finding the back of the…
Chelsea’s Under-21s showed resilience and a battling mentality to come from 2-0 and 3-2 behind to take a point in a 3-3 draw against West Ham United on Friday night. Goals from Pelly Ruddock and Matthias Fanimo had put the visitors two to the good before Lewis Baker reduced the deficit, and whilst John Swift had drawn things level, Blair Turgott’s late goal looked to have taken the points back…
Chelsea’s loanee goalscoring continues unabated with another flurry of strikes this week, and whilst Patrick Bamford and Lucas Piazon were held off the scoresheet for a change, Romelu Lukaku continued his fine run of form and was ably assisted by Nathaniel Chalobah and Stipe Perica in another fine week for those young Blues playing elsewhere. Headliners We begin with Lukaku, who struck a fifth goal in five appearances for Everton…
Indulge me for a moment. Ordinarily, an Arsenal vs Chelsea draw in the League Cup would be a clash of two teams who tend to go about their business in very different manners. Arsene Wenger has typically used the competition to blood generation after generation of well-hyped teenager, whilst Blues managers of the last decade have more often than not fielded stronger teams and, well, actually won it. It’s a…
It proved to be an especially productive return to club football for Chelsea’s young loanees after the international break, with no fewer than five individuals finding the back of the net. They all share the headlines this week, with a pair of Vitesse Arnhem starlets leading the way. Headliners Lucas Piazon and Patrick van Aanholt have been the most successful of the six Chelsea loanees assigned to Vitesse, and they…
Chelsea’s Under 18s suffered just a second defeat of the season on Saturday as they went down 3-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur in a hard-fought London derby. A somewhat depleted young Blues squad started poorly and found themselves two goals behind as Will Miller and Daniel Akindayini netted for the hosts. They worked their way back into contention though and a strike from Chike Kandi gave them hope, but Spurs…