One of the strengths about Chelsea Football club in recent history in particular has been the quality of players produced by their academy.
Ever since John Terry broke through into the side, there has been a steady stream of quality players who have gone on to enjoy illustrious careers at Chelsea or other top sides.
There is a reported loss of confidence at Cobham at the moment though that there is not a clear pathway for some of their top talents to make it at Stamford Bridge.
This saw talented youngster Rio Ngumoha leave over the summer, with him joining Liverpool in a deal that we haven’t heard the last of yet based on the financial implications for both sides.
Head Coach Enzo Maresca of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on November 21, 2024 in Cobham, England.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Calvin Diakite signs ‘rare’ deal with Adidas
Nevertheless, there are still a number of players who have been given their Chelsea debuts by Enzo Maresca, including Tyrique George and Samuel Rak-Sakyi.
One of the youngsters making a real impression this season is Calvin Diakite, who despite being just 15 years of age has already appeared for the U18s this season.
It looks as if his top performances have gotten him recognition as far as sponsorships go too.
TheSecretScout has claimed that Diakite has signed a deal with Adidas, something which is extremely rare for big brands to do with defenders of his age.
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Calvin Diakite stats 24/25
Diakite has already shown his versatility for the Under 18’s, featuring at both left-back and centre-back this season.
Calvin Diakite Chelsea U18s 24/25 Apps
Centre-Back 2
Left-Back 4
Another defensive prospect at Chelsea who could be about to make an impact is Josh Acheampong, although it may not be long until he is able to compete again for the first team.
Acheampong was seen back in training with the first team after being frozen out due to not signing a new contract, and although he did not travel for the Conference League match with Heidenheim he may not be far away from returning to action at last.