Chelsea have turn into identified over time for his or her Cobham Academy, which has produced a list of elite-level skills who’ve both made a huge effect on the primary crew or made the membership an enormous revenue.
Inside Enzo Maresca’s present squad, their academy success might be seen within the type of defender Levi Colwill, who has loved an enormous rise lately.
The 21-year-old has spent numerous years out on mortgage, earlier than changing into an important participant beneath the Italian in 2024/25, lacking only one minute of Premier League motion thus far this marketing campaign.
On account of his wonderful progress, he’s turn into an everyday within the England setup beneath Lee Carsley in current months, being named in all three squads through the ongoing season.
There’s no denying that centre-back wouldn’t be on the present efficiency stage if it wasn’t for his profitable mortgage spells elsewhere, together with his first leap in England’s top-flight coming in 2022/23.
Chelsea’s switch window in the summertime of 2022
Colwill left on a season-long mortgage to join Brighton and Hove Albion after his earlier season on mortgage at Huddersfield City the 12 months prior, as they misplaced within the play-off ultimate in opposition to Nottingham Forest.
Jake Clarke-Salter is one other defender who had enormous expectations on his shoulders after coming by the academy, however in the end he by no means made the affect many anticipated him to as a teenager.
The now 27-year-old only featured twice for his boyhood membership, earlier than leaving on a free switch in the summertime of 2022, becoming a member of Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers on the finish of his contract.
The aforementioned window allowed for the departures of two high-earning gamers who, sadly, had been unable to match the expectations many positioned on their shoulders upon their respective strikes to Stamford Bridge.
Ross Barkley left after a three-and-a-half 12 months stint in West London, with Danny Drinkwater spending 5 years on the Blues after becoming a member of in a £35m deal from Leicester City after their Premier League triumph again in 2015/16.
Nevertheless, such a window additionally noticed the departure of a expertise who many anticipated to turn into a top-level star however was unable to make such an affect on account of fixed damage troubles.
Where Are They Now
Your star participant or largest flop has left the membership however what are they doing within the current day? This text is a part of Soccer FanCast’s The place Are They Now sequence.
The previous Chelsea star who’s now unemployed at 28
Belgian winger Charly Musonda joined Chelsea as a 15-year-old again in the summertime of 2012, the identical window as compatriot Eden Hazard, however the pair couldn’t have developed additional aside after their respective spells on the Bridge.
The previous Lille ace spent seven years within the capital, racking up over 350 appearances and scoring over 100 goals earlier than leaving to affix Actual Madrid for £130m in the summertime of 2019.
Nevertheless, the identical can’t be stated for Musonda, who was as soon as seen as a generational expertise given his time within the academy however was sadly unable to duplicate such a feat within the first crew.
“The winger was hailed by the membership’s academy coaches as a generational expertise whereas technical administrators throughout Europe jockeyed in a bid to poach him. By most measures, Musonda was purported to be a celebrity by now” – Journalist Tom Kershaw in 2019.
Sadly, the attacker would solely characteristic seven instances, scoring just a solitary goal in opposition to Nottingham Forest again within the Carabao Cup again in September 2017.
Accidents performed an enormous half in his lack of recreation time, being despatched on numerous stints to Vitesse and Celtic before eventually being released by the Blues in the summertime of 2022 as a 25-year-old.
Charly Musonda’s profession stats with totally different golf equipment |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Membership |
Video games |
Targets |
Assists |
Chelsea U21 |
52 |
12 |
6 |
Actual Betis |
24 |
1 |
3 |
Levante |
19 |
0 |
0 |
Anorthosis |
11 |
0 |
1 |
Chelsea U18 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
Celtic |
8 |
0 |
1 |
Chelsea |
7 |
1 |
2 |
Vitesse |
4 |
0 |
0 |
Stats by way of Transfermarkt |
Musonda has since had quick stints at Spanish facet Levante, while additionally that includes for Cypriot outfit Anorthosis through the 2023/24 marketing campaign, earlier than subsequently being released back in September.
To this present day, the now 28-year-old stays a free agent, together with his profession in Europe all however over given his decline over the previous couple of years – such a tragic sight to see given his promise as a teenager.
He’s simply one other case of a teenager who’s been unable to match his potential throughout his academy days, with the stress positioned on his shoulders as a young person undoubtedly enjoying an enormous half in his lack of growth.
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