Surprisingly enough, not many of these players go on to represent the first team. A number of extremely gifted youngsters have been unable to cement their place in the team. In search of more game time, these players end up going to other clubs where they can harness their skill and potential. It’s about time the blues start learning from their mistakes. What happened to the talismanic duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea? The Blues surely regret it.

Chelsea’s youth academy is one amongst the best in Europe. They continue to harness the talent and it’s time for the blues to reap the rewards of their great work in the academy. The club must secure their position with these players by giving them adequate game time or helping them gain experience by loaning them out to other clubs. Five youngsters who have the potential to be Chelsea legends one day are-

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a 22-year-old midfielder who has been with Chelsea for 7 years now. He has been rated highly by the likes of Frank Lampard and Maurizio Sarri. Cheek regards Lampard as his greatest inspiration and wants to follow in his footsteps. He studied Lampard’s game while in the academy and was in awe of his work ethic. Loftus-Cheek is the perfect box to box midfielder.

He has great ball control and can pick a pass with great precision. He spent the last season on loan at Crystal Palace and performed well whenever he got the opportunity. He finished the season with 2 goals, 3 assists and 5 big chances created. Ruben was a part of England’s world cup squad this year. He has not gone out on loan this season and will be hoping for regular playing time under new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri. If given the chance, the talented youngster will definitely make his mark for Chelsea FC.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Callum Hudson-Odoi might be one of the finest products of the Chelsea academy. This 17-year-old winger represented England in the under-17 world cup and had a hand in two goals in the final. He made his first-team debut under Antonio Conte in January, showing great skill and character.

He came into the limelight through fantastic performances for Chelsea in the pre-season this year, causing problems for the likes of Hector Bellerin and Kyle Walker. The gifted youngster usually plays on the left wing so he can cut in and shoot with his preferred right foot. Playing second fiddle to Eden hazard might not bother Odoi too much but he’d sure like to get some playing time and gain experience. Odoi has the pace, skill, and temperament to become one of the finest wingers in Europe and Chelsea must give him as much playing time as possible.

Andreas Christensen

Even though he had the likes of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Antonio Rudiger in his squad, Antonio Conte deployed Andreas Christensen in the middle of a three-man defense on a number of occasions. This speaks volumes of the talent and the potential of this 22-year-old Danish defender. The youngster has a good eye for danger in front of goal and goes about his job with great efficiency.

Chelsea legend and former captain, John Terry rates Christensen highly. Terry is of the opinion that Christensen has the potential to fill his boots at Chelsea FC. In 2015, Andreas went out on loan to Borrusia Monchengladbach and put up a string of brilliant performances. Needless to say, he was a wanted man in the summer transfer window, attracting interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Christensen hasn’t been getting a lot of game time under Maurizio Sarri and will be breathing down the backs of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, waiting for his chance to prove himself.

Tammy Abraham

Antonio Conte interestingly once quoted that 21-year-old Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham was set for great things in the future. On loan from Chelsea, the tall, athletic marksman scored 26 goals for Bristol City FC in the English championship in 2016. He failed to have the same sort of impact in the premier league when he was loaned to Swansea City the following year.

Tottenham Hotspur tried to snap him up for 25 million on deadline day in the summer transfer window, but the blues did well to ward them off. Tammy is an out and out striker with the presence of mind to get into the right positions at the right times. He has pace, skill, shooting prowess and the ability to hold up play if required. He’d do well to improve on the physical aspect of his game. Tammy can go on to become one of the greatest Chelsea strikers ever and the blues must give him ample playing opportunities and enable him to do so.

Ethan Ampadu

Ethan Ampadu is an 18-year-old defender who has had heads turning in the footballing world with his talent and skill. The Welshman has been tipped for greatness by Cledwyn Ashford, the education and welfare officer for the Wales U-15 and U-16 teams who claims that Ethan is better than the likes of Gary Speed and Aaron Ramsey at his age. Ampadu is strong and gives his hundred percent on the field.

He is usually a figure of intense concentration and doesn’t make too many mistakes in front of goal. Physical resemblance apart, Ethan has claimed that he is learning a lot from teammate and mentor David Luiz. The Brazillian stalwart, in turn, has heaped praises on the youngster, lauding him for his keen sense of learning. As is the case with many talented youngsters at Chelsea, Ampadu is finding first-team game time hard to come by. A loan move will do him a world of good at this stage of his career.

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