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Three Cobham stars who could make the jump to the first team at Chelsea

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Cobham

Chelsea are one of the most successful clubs of the 21st century, and despite their recent form, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Blues have secured six Premier League titles and claimed the Champions League trophy twice, with their latest triumph in 2021, where they defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the final. They are also known for producing some of the most talented youngsters in England.

Chelsea have given us names such as Ron Harris, who won Chelsea their first European trophy, Jimmy Greaves, who went on to play for clubs like AC Milan and Spurs; and most famously, John Terry, who in his prime, was considered one of the best center backs in the world. More recently, they have produced prodigies like Mason Mount, Andreas Christensen and Callum-Hudson Odoi.

Cobham – Chelsea academy players to keep an eye out for

Despite the significant investments made in transfers under Todd Boehly, Chelsea has maintained its commitment to nurturing talent through its youth system – Cobham. Some notable names emerging from the club’s youth ranks of Cobham include:

Alfie Gilchrist

Alfie Gilchrist, hailing from a family of Chelsea supporters, joined the Cobham academy at the under-11 level and has progressed through the ranks, currently playing for the U18s.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Alfie Gilchrist of Chelsea is challenged by Emil Riis Jakobsen of Preston North End during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Chelsea and Preston North End at Stamford Bridge on January 06, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The young defender earned a nomination for the PL2 Player of the Season award, acknowledging his defensive contributions for Chelsea’s U18 side, which secured a third-place finish in the competition. He also scored one goal and assisted on one occasion. After a string of impressive performances during his first year at the Under-18 level, Gilchrist signed his first professional contract at Chelsea.

He ended the 2020/21 season with 18 Academy appearances, including one in the FA Youth Cup and for the development squad, and a setup for the younger age group. His notable achievements led to his being named the 2021 Scholar of the Year.

He was also a member of the men’s first-team squad, which travelled to the United States for Mauricio Pochettino’s first pre-season at the club.

Cobham
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 26: Alfie Gilchrist of Chelsea passes the ball whilst under pressure from Youri Tielemans of Aston Villa during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on January 26, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Gilchrist made his debut in the penultimate game of 2023, entering the match as a substitute towards the end of a home victory against Crystal Palace. Following a similar substitution appearance in the next game against Luton, he earned his first start when Chelsea faced Preston in the third round of the FA Cup.

Deivid Washington

Another highly rated young player in Chelsea’s young squad is considered to be Deivid Washington, who was signed into the Cobham training academy from Santos for a reported fee of £17.2 million. Washington is a striker and a ‘classic’ modern-day number nine, often compared to the great Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

With Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson misfiring, and Armando Broja facing challenges, Washington could potentially provide a solution for Chelsea’s goal-scoring woes. Making his debut for the club in a 2-0 home loss to Brentford, Washington’s performance in Brazil caught attention.

Audax Italiano’s midfielder Sebastian Pereira (L) and Santos’ forward Deivid Washington (R) during the Copa Sudamericana group stage second leg football match between Chile’s Audax Italiano and Brazil’s Santos, at the El Teniente stadium in Rancagua, Chile, on May 24, 2023. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

He scored his first goal for the Under-21s in a PL2 victory against Manchester City. Deivid Washington is currently set to leave on loan after the end of this season.

Cesare Casadei

The young Italian midfielder had been one of the hottest names in Italian football following his exploits at the recent Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, where he scored seven goals, just two short of Erling Haaland’s record, and won the Golden Boot. Originally an academy player for Inter in Italy, Casadei was often considered a valuable sub capable of making a significant impact late in games.

Cesare Casadei made the move to the London-based club in 2022, and subsequently, he went on loan to Reading. During his loan spell, he had intermittent appearances, contributing with a late winner on his debut against Cardiff City. However, Casadei faced challenges in securing regular playing time and found himself more frequently involved in cup competitions.

Following his loan to Reading, he went to Leicester City, where he played for them for six months, before returning to Chelsea in January and coming on as a substitute in their 4-1 loss to Liverpool. It is possible that he will be loaned further, as he could find it difficult to break into Chelsea’s midfield of Caicedo, Enzo and Gallagher.