Chelsea Football Club have officially announced that Mathis Eboue has signed his first professional contract with the Blues, after he turned 17. In January 2025, the attacking midfielder moved from Watford to the west London club. Chelsea have already seen him make an impression at Cobham, their famous training center in Surrey.
The 17-year-old has played 16 times for the Under-18s this season and scored three goals in all competitions. Eboue scored in his first game, a 4-2 win away at Crystal Palace, showing right away the quality that made the Blues want to sign him from Watford. Hassan Sulaiman’s U18 team have found his ability to play as an attacking midfielder and on the front line to be very useful this season.
In English football circles, the young player’s journey to Stamford Bridge is a very interesting family story. Emmanuel Eboue is Mathis’ father. The older Eboue played for Arsenal from 2005 to 2011, appearing 214 times for the Gunners.
Mathis chose Chelsea when given the chance, even though his father had strong ties to Arsenal and had played in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final. While he was still in the Under-16s age group, he made his Under-21s debut at Watford.
Eboue’s great club form has carried over perfectly to England’s youth team. In November 2025, he scored an amazing hat trick in just 23 minutes for the Three Lions in a 5-2 win over the USA. The attacking midfielder also made his first UEFA Youth League appearance, playing a key role in Chelsea’s 5-2 win over Benfica at Cobham. England senior manager Thomas Tuchel is likely keeping an eye on the teenager’s progress following these performances.
Emmanuel Eboue’s Legacy Lives On Through Son’s Chelsea Journey
The name Eboue is still well-known in English football in 2026, but now it is at a different club than where it first became famous. Emmanuel Eboue played for the Ivory Coast 78 times and scored three goals. He had a successful seven-season spell at Arsenal, where he became a versatile player in Arsène Wenger’s squad.
The Ivorian defender played in the Champions League final against Barcelona just 16 months after joining from Beveren. He started out as a right-back who attacked, then moved into midfield roles. He became a bit of a cult hero at Emirates Stadium during his time in English football before leaving for Galatasaray in the summer of 2011.
Almost 15 years after Emmanuel’s Premier League career reached its peak, his son, Mathis, is now progressing through the English football academy system independently.