Chelsea has been handed another reminder as to why they must secure the future of Harvey Vale following the teenager's spectacular rendition of Hakim Ziyech.
The 18-year-old midfielder, who sees his current deal at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of next season, shone in the Blues' thrilling five-goal thriller against Blackpool in the FA Youth Cup.
This season, Vale has emerged as one of Cobham's brightest prospects, becoming the centrepiece to the development squad's project.
The England youth international unleashed a stunning effort to level proceedings for Ed Brand's side, holding a strong resemblance of that Ziyech goal against Tottenham.
Vale's impressive displays this season earned a senior debut in Chelsea's Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford and has since grown into a prominent feature among Tuchel's first-team setup.
However, while the future looks bright for the youngster, the west Londoners must learn from Lionel Messi's contract fiasco to secure the future of their next shining star.
Vale can be likened to Chelsea's Moroccan magician because of their similar profile, skillset and left-foot, but he is set to become a free agent in June 2023.
Tuchel's side held new talks with the 18-year-old in December about extending his contract at Stamford Bridge, according to The Athletic.
The report claims that negotiations were 'positive' and that all parties are optimistic that a new contract can be agreed.
The Athletic added that the Chelsea boss is looking to send the teenager out on loan next season if a long-term deal can be arranged, following in the footsteps of his predecessors Reece James and Mason Mount.
The worry in the fan base is Chelsea have held back Vale's progress by not sending him on loan into the Championship in January due to a contract dispute and having less than 18 months on his current deal. Although stopping him from being in the shop window on loan will put potential suitors off a little due to him not playing consistent professional minutes, it could also rock the boat and make his camp unhappy in terms of contract negotiations due to his progress not being the main thing prioritised.
This whole fiasco reminds me of this time last year with Tino Livramento. They tried to persuade him to sign a new deal with first-team inclusion and being part of the matchday squad, but he stood firm and knew his worth and knew his next step to proving his worth was elsewhere with a clean break than being sent to the Championship. Weeks after he joined Southampton, we had already proven this to be an excellent move for his career instead of being told he needed experience and waiting in the wings for an easy cup match for a chance when James got a rest.
The Blues must take control of this as they've already lost some brilliant academy players in the past two years. To name a few, Tariq Lamptey, Lewis Bate, Marc Guehi, and Jamal Musiala all left due to contract issues.
Chelsea can not afford to lose sight of Vale's glaring quality, and the board must avoid falling into a situation like Barcelona, whereby the club's naivety and reluctance to finalise contract talks proves fatal.
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