FINALLY: Mudryk and Chilwell replaced as Chelsea to unleash wonderkids including their own Grealish

Chelsea’s Cobham talent pool is growing, and there are several promising young players who will soon graduate from the academy to the first squad.

Ben Chilwell and Mykhaylo Mudryk could lose their places at Chelsea (Image: Getty)

Many talented players have been given a way into English football and beyond by Chelsea’s academy, so it’s hard not to be thrilled about the new generation of potential coming out of the Cobham pool. At the Blues’ Surrey base, Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala are just a few of the players that rose through the ranks to become well-known players.

And even with the addition of foreign players like Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez, Cobham still has a promising future. Since Mark Robinson was named Burton Albion’s new manager, Filipe Coelho has taken over as coach of the Under-21 development group.

Club executives were impressed with Coelho’s work with Benfica’s prestigious academy, and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will be depending on Coelho to pass along some of his best academy players.

Express Sport examines the five jewels who have a chance to establish themselves in the senior team in more detail.

Tyrique George

There hasn’t been this much enthusiasm for a winger at the Chelsea academy since Callum Hudson-Odoi, and George’s exceptional technique is complemented by his scorching pace and agile running style. After joining the club at the age of eight, the 18-year-old has progressed through the youth ranks at Cobham, and he is about to make his senior debut.

George advanced to the U21 squad last year after excelling for the Under-18s team in 2022–2023; he scored 20 goals in all age levels for his club, and he continued to grow in strength. His performances for the Three Lions’ Under-18 group have impressed the England coaches, who have their sights set on him as well.

The winger also saw action on the Chelsea bench three times towards the conclusion of the season, all under Mauricio Pochettino, demonstrating his potential for first-team minutes.

Despite not being able to make his debut, George will travel with the team to the United States for the preseason and will undoubtedly have an opportunity to perform, which will put pressure on Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Acheampong Josh

Acheampong, unlike George, dazzled in his debut at Stamford Bridge and did wear a blue shirt for the first time. The versatile right-back, who can also play as a wing-back or at the centre of the defence, should see some playing time under Maresca because to his exceptional physical abilities.

When he entered the pitch in the latter minutes of their victory over Tottenham, he appeared unfazed by the moment, launching himself into challenges and having no trouble controlling the ball.

Acheampong, who is well-liked by the youth staff, scored the game’s lone goal for Chelsea in the U18 Premier League national final earlier this year, which ended in a 2-1 loss to Manchester United. In the event that Chelsea sells Trevoh Chalobah this summer in order to abide the PSF rules, Acheampong would be a fitting substitute in the team.

Leo Castledine

There were rumours that the highly-rated playmaker, Castledine, 19, would become available to large teams in Europe, so Chelsea made a huge deal out of locking him down to a new four-year contract. They will be happy that he decided to stay put now.

It is natural that he gets compared to Jack Grealish because of his long, wavy hair. However, Castledine’s ability to read between the lines makes Mason Mount come to mind. Although he can play behind the striker in any of the three positions, his finest movement is in the centre.

When the Chelsea junior team was being coached by the Blues legend John Terry, he made an impression on him with his mindset. Terry praised Castledine as a “great trainer” and commented on how the midfielder “treats each session like a cup final”. For Castledine, who wants to solidify his place in the Blues team, that can only be a plus.

She Samuels-Smith

Samuels-Smith, who cost £4 million to Everton in 2023, may be under more pressure than his academy counterparts to prove his worth. Though he is playing well for the Under-21s, the 17-year-old’s first-team debut doesn’t seem too far off.

As rumours about Marc Cucurella or Ben Chilwell being traded this summer linger, Samuels-Smith will be trying to position himself as the fallback player. Renato Veiga, a Portuguese utility player who can play multiple positions, was already signed by Chelsea for £12 million, although Samuels-Smith’s route might not be obstructed by Veiga.

He can execute well-timed sliding tackles and ping 50-yard diagonals with equal ease. The adolescent fits Maresca’s ideal left-sided defence profile, and if he keeps up his good play, he might be called up for some cup competitions.

Jimi Tauriainen

Tauriainen might be the midfield answer if there are doubts about Enzo Fernandez’s future with the team and Cesare Casadei is let go this summer.

In addition to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who Chelsea has acquired from Leicester for £30 million, Maresca has several additional possibilities for centre midfield, including Moises Caicedo, Lesley Ugochukwu, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia, and Conor Gallagher.

However, the 20-year-old Finn has demonstrated that he is an unflappable presence in the park’s centre regions and shares traits with Granit Xhaka. He might be added back into the starting lineup after making only two fleeting appearances off the bench under Pochettino’s watch last season.