Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Chelsea have been left kicking themselves for how the Rio Ngumoha saga played out, although are looking to complete a coup of their own by signing JJ Gabriel.
Ngumoha came through Chelsea’s academy, but ultimately didn’t see a pathway to first team football and elected to join Liverpool instead.
The England youngster has emerged as a genuine contender for first team minutes at Anfield, and forced Chelsea into a different strategy to nail down the futures of their talented academy stars.
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The likes of Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli are being tipped for big things now, with them being handed opportunities by Xabi Alonso during pre-season.
One of the most talented youngsters around the Premier League is JJ Gabriel at Manchester United, and the 15-year-old is free to sign for anyone by the time he turns 17.
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Graeme Bailey stated on the TalkingTransfers TikTok page that Chelsea are eyeing up Gabriel as a potential signing from one of their fierce Premier League rivals.
He said: “United want to tie him down. They are worried about other clubs looking at him, and until he turns 17 and he can sign, they can lose him. We saw that with Rio Ngumoha going from Liverpool to Chelsea. That came from nowhere.
“Now, Chelsea are one of the ones looking at JJ Gabriel. He really is a world-class talent. That’s the message that’s coming through.”
Who is JJ Gabriel?
Despite being just 15, Gabriel has featured for the United first team during their current pre-season campaign, an indication of how talented he is.
The youngster is a striker, although has shown an ability to play across the frontline, including featuring on the left of attack.
He has featured for the highly-talented England U17s, playing alongside Kavuma-McQueen and Nicoll-Jazuli in a victory over Faroe Islands.
The Chelsea owners have not stopped their ambition to secure the top young players across world football, and Gabriel certainly fits into this category.