Chelsea's devotion to signing up the best young players across the world has attracted it's fair share of criticism since Todd Boehly took over the club last summer but it's nothing new. The Blues have always acted as a farm for teenage talent.
Now, restricted by tighter loan rules there are no longer the same huge numbers of players sent out on loan each year, at least not to the same extent as the previous regime. That hasn't stopped the Boehly-Clearlake Capital axis from making an immediate impression when it comes to academy football.
Already possessing one of the best groups of junior players with world class facilities, Cobham has an incredible history of graduates. Boehly is keen to drive up the standards at the lower ages, though, and has shown extreme commitment to that cause so far.
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Since the summer, Chelsea have already signed five listed first-team teenage players for a combined £65m. Others have gone into the academy or loan set-up including Omari Hutchinson and Cesare Casadei, who would raise that price beyond £75m. Then there are those that have come from other academies across England.
It has made for quite the array of players from all reaches of the world. One of the markets tapped into has even been the MLS. Now becoming a rich source of talent for clubs to access, scout and recruit from, the American top flight is producing some standout players attracting more and more attention in the Premier League.
Chelsea delved into that last summer, making 18-year-old Gabriel Slonina the first signing from USA under the new owners but surely not the last. Such is the quality of Slonina for his age he has already been awarded a first cap for his country and was courted for by Real Madrid.
The Blues saw off the competition though and secured a deal and have since been told yet again just how much of a catch they have made. In the NXGN (Next Generation) awards Slonina is amongst an unranked top 50 teenage talents worldwide. He is ranked as a true wonderkid for his age group alongside fellow new Blue, Andrey Santos. Lewis Hall is also on the list having made his debut for the club unlike the other two.
With ever-growing access to US markets there is no surprise to see names appearing on these lists and Boehly may well have gotten in early to secure a bargain of a deal for Chelsea.
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