Date: 24th November 2021 at 11:13am
Written by:

SOURCE: Photo

It is official – Chelsea now boasts the most valuable academy of all the London-based Premier League clubs. That’s according to a recent study by Online Money Advisor, which found that the Blues have generated £92.8m in profit on sales of their academy graduates in the last decade. That’s £18.5m greater than Arsenal, who generated £74.3m in sales of homegrown starlets.

Fellow London rivals Tottenham Hotspur rank down in fifth place in terms of academy revenues, with just £35.5m generated from sales of homegrown prospects. This summer has seen Chelsea shoot right up that table given the £25.1m recouped from AC Milan for defender Fikayo Tomori. Meanwhile England international striker Tammy Abraham was snapped up by Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in a £34.4m deal.

Former Chelsea assistant boss Eddie Newton recently revealed that owner Roman Abramovich has a “dream” to win domestic and European trophies at Stamford Bridge with the Blues XI containing more than 50% of academy graduates. Newton said the club now has a “real interest” in giving homegrown talent their chance due to the change in ethos from the top of the club’s hierarchy. Newton said Abramovich believes it is possible to win “Champions Leagues and Premier Leagues” using “six or seven” academy graduates each season, while incorporating a sprinkling of proven experience “year after year”.

It is certainly a laudable goal for an owner that was one of the first to change the game in terms of Premier League spending. Abramovich’s 2003 arrival in West London sparked an ambitious programme of development, both on and off the pitch. Abramovich funded the signing of numerous marquee names, who have helped the Blues win 18 major trophies during the Russian’s ownership. However, the last 18 months have not been easy for even the richest Premier League club owners. The teams collectively haemorrhaged £700m without fan income last season and the dismissal of European Super League proposals has seen Abramovich shift to a more sustainable tac.

So far in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, Thomas Tuchel has six players in his senior squad that graduated from the club’s Cobham academy. The likes of Mason Mount, Reece James and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have been in and around the first team for a few seasons now. The latter appears to be returning to the kind of form displayed way back under Maurizio Sarri. Nevertheless, the most recent addition to the academy contingent was Trevoh Chalobah.

Trevoh Chalobah: The magic sixth homegrown addition to the 2021/22 Chelsea squad

SOURCE: Photo

The 22-year-old has been out on season-long loans for the last three seasons, in a bid to prepare him for the cut and thrust of the Chelsea senior fold. Chalobah’s first loan spell with Ipswich Town proved an eye-opener, with the Tractor Boys succumbing to relegation to League One, despite Chalobah impressing on regular occasions in a holding midfield role. He was then snapped up by Championship side Huddersfield Town in the 2019/20 campaign, where again he thrived in a defensive midfield role for 36 appearances.

His 2020/21 loan spell was arguably the most eyebrow-raising of them all, with the Sierra Leone-born starlet deciding to ply his trade overseas with French Ligue 1 side Lorient. Prior to his spell in France, Chalobah agreed a new contract at Stamford Bridge until 2023, but few could have envisaged the impact he would make on Thomas Tuchel’s team in 2021/22.

After shining in the Blues’ UEFA Super Cup encounter with Villarreal, Tuchel fielded Chalobah in the opening day of the Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace. A debut goal and three points saw his confidence skyrocket and he has since featured in six of Chelsea’s 11 league games so far this term. This breakthrough was enough for Chalobah to earn another extended contract, tying him to the Blues until the summer of 2026.

A recently departed academy graduate Tino Livramento, who signed for Southampton this summer, described Chelsea’s academy as the “best in the world”. Livramento insisted he would “never have a bad word [said]” about his time in West London and despite the Blues’ unique approach to loaning their hottest prospects, it could yet prove to be the most realistic route to achieving Abramovich’s dream.

 

Comments are closed.