Chelsea may be in the midst of a crisis, but there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of the club. With just two wins in 12 games, the Blues have tumbled down the Premier League table and sit in 11th place with little hope of playing in the Europa Conference League or the Champions League next season. New co-owner Todd Boehly may need to sell players to balance the books, and bringing in new recruits without European football will prove difficult. However, Chelsea already has some superstars at the club, with several younger players making huge impressions on an international scale.
Seven of Chelsea’s starlets captained their countries over the most recent international break, proving that there is talent closer to home at Stamford Bridge. Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ethan Ampadu, David Datro Fofana, Harvey Vale, and Michael Golding all sported the armband for their respective countries.
Benoit Badiashile was signed in January from Monaco for £35 million as part of Boehly’s continued spending spree and made an immediate impact. He shored up a leaky defence with brilliant poise and calmness at the back that saw early comparisons made with Thiago Silva. However, perhaps due to the number of players currently at Stamford Bridge, Badiashile has seen his first-team appearances dwindle in recent weeks while Chelsea’s form has continued to desert them.
Levi Colwill has come up through the esteemed youth academy at Cobham and has been a star performer at Brighton this season on loan. It has led to heightened interest in his services from Liverpool and Manchester City as Chelsea ponder sales to steady the ship in the summer. Wherever Colwill continues his development, there is little doubt that the 20-year-old will become a star.
Chelsea snapped up Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer from Aston Villa, and it was hailed as a brilliant transfer, though the midfielder has yet to make an impact at the club. But at the age of 19, time is very much on his side, while the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona were also keen on his signature. Last year, he captained England Under-20s to victory over Chile and has been regarded as one for the future.
Ethan Ampadu signed for Chelsea in 2017 from Exeter but has made just one Premier League appearance. In that time, he has been loaned out to RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Venezia, and now Spezia and has also cemented himself as a regular for Wales. In fact, the 22-year-old already has 42 caps for the Dragons and can almost be considered a veteran, something the coaching staff must agree with after giving him the captain’s armband last month when Aaron Ramsey came off against Latvia.
David Datro Fofana was another Boehly buy in January who has excited Chelsea fans. The 20-year-old has been earmarked as a potential answer to their goalscoring woes up front. Chased by a list of European clubs, the Blues signed Fofana from Molde where he scored more goals than Erling Haaland did during his time there. Last month, the striker captained Ivory Coast’s Under-23s to victory over Morocco in a 3-2 win.
Harvey Vale is a gleaming star at academy level at Chelsea where he flew up the age groups but is yet to translate that talent to senior level. The 19-year-old made just two appearances on loan at Hull before being called back this season but that does not mean that he cannot make it at Chelsea. He has already captained England Under-20s on two occasions this season, operating on either flank, while he can also play central midfield and even at left-back.
Still just 16, Michael Golding has already been playing with the Under-18s for Chelsea this season, and there is growing hype around his talent. Despite his young age, his leadership skills have been commended as one of his key attributes. He was handed the captain’s armband for England Under-16s when they won the Val de Marne tournament last year.