Many are considered, but few are chosen. That is the brutal reality of the famed Chelsea academy, where so many young stars have come through the ranks this past decade, only to be moved on before they can establish themselves at first-team level.
Todd Boehly's takeover in May 2022 has sparked as much transfer chaos as it has success. Still, the club continues to spend big, with Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, and Jamie Gittens just three big-money deals done this summer. They aren't done there yet either, with Xavi Simons and Jorrel Hato now also on the verge of moves to Stamford Bridge.
However, Enzo Maresca can now save his club another lavish fee by focusing instead on developing a young star already in his squad. The Blues are expected to soon renew their interest in Alejandro Garnacho, who looks certain to leave Manchester United after falling out with Ruben Amorim.
Chelsea are said to be keen if they can do a deal at £30million. The Argentine international would add quality and attacking threat to Maresca's squad, but would also bring problems in equal measure.
He has already displayed a tendency to lose his cool when not given a starting berth. Or, like in the aftermath of United's Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, he gets his brother to lose it for him.
It's not a trait likely to sit well with Maresca, given the luxury of forwards he has at his disposal, making squad rotation inevitable. Instead, he would be better served by giving more game time to George, having praised the impact of the 19-year-old last season.
He scored three times in 26 appearances, including a crucial late equaliser to set up a win at Fulham. Maresca reacted by saying: "We are excited with him, but now is the moment you need to manage young players because they can be excited and then too easily go down."
Rather than risk unrest with Garnacho, Maresca should stick with a player who showed plenty of promise both domestically and in Europe in 2024/25. Doing so would not only save splashing out unnecessarily but also send a message to club academy prospects that there is still room for a pathway at Chelsea.
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