Summary Chelsea's recruitment strategy focuses on acquiring young talent and developing players for long-term success. The Blues have had mixed results on the pitch this season and are currently 11th in the Premier League. Manager Mauricio Pochettino believes his team can win the EFL Cup and sees it as an important competition for them.
Chelsea have become a prime destination for young players to choose to continue their development, and Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly eyeing another exciting gem at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's youth recruitment strategy
Undoubtedly, Chelsea have taken a major heel-turn in their approach to the market over the last couple of years and are now a club synonymous with acquiring young talent and developing players in the hope that the Blues will have a side capable of competing at the top end of English football for the long term.
In the summer, the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Oguchukwu, Deivid Washington, Angelo and Diego Moreira were all brought to Stamford Bridge, with all players mentioned being of the age of 22 or under; however, the Blues' recruitment strategy has yielded mixed results on the pitch.
Sitting 11th in the Premier League table, Chelsea have taken 12 points from their opening ten fixtures and still look to be a way off competing for continental qualification despite some encouraging signs from their young squad, which retains an average age of just 23.8 years old, according to Transfermarkt.
Nevertheless, the Blues booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday by sweeping aside Blackburn Rovers on home soil courtesy of goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling.
Cited by BBC Sport, Chelsea boss Pochettino has emphasised his belief that his side can win the competition, stating in his post-match press conference: "We need to think that it is an important competition for us. We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us like the Premier League and in January we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think that we can win this competition."
Young players have become a crucial part of Pochettino's philosophy in SW6 and it now appears that the Argentinian coach has another prodigious talent in his sights following latest reports.
Chelsea's next five fixtures – all competitions
Competition
Opponent
Venue
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur (A)
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Premier League
Manchester City (H)
Stamford Bridge
Premier League
Newcastle United (A)
St James' Park
Premier League
Brighton & Hove Albion (H)
Stamford Bridge
Premier League
Manchester United (A)
Old Trafford
Chelsea eyeing Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi
According to a transfer update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are interested in Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi and have watched his progress over the last few months. Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are also courting the starlet in light of his emergence in the Irish top flight. La Liga giants Real Madrid are also keen on the 17-year-old, who could be available for as little as £250,000.
Despite Razi being believed to desire a move to England over Spain, any side from the United Kingdom willing to swoop for the youngster would need to wait until his 18th birthday to sanction a deal, in light of new rules involving Irish players moving across the water that have surfaced since Brexit.
Razi, who has been labelled as an "exciting prospect" by former St Johnstone defender Graham Gartland, has made six senior appearances for Shamrock Rovers since making his breakthrough at first-team level. However, he has yet to get himself on the scoresheet or register an assist (Razi statistics – Transfermarkt).
Nevertheless, the Republic of Ireland Under-17 international is now a hot topic among some of Europe's heavyweight clubs and Chelsea and clearly has a high ceiling to be drawing such intense interest.
