Wade through the rich waters at Stamford Bridge and several shrewder players on the club’s books can be unearthed, with Chelsea‘s summer signing Carney Chukwuemeka among the promising starlets awaiting full bloom.
Many Premier League followers would be forgiven if the fact that the Blues held such a talented young prospect within the senior ranks had been somewhat forgotten over the past few months, such has been the volume of new signings since American businessman Todd Boehly assumed ownership of the club last year.
In fact, Chelsea have spent more than £550m since last summer, and Chukwuemeka is indeed part of the vibrant crop to have joined the ranks in west London, signing from Aston Villa for a fee in the region of £20m on a six-year deal despite only being 18.
Should Potter provide a regular role to Chukwuemeka this season?
While Chukwuemeka is not expected to cement a regular starting role so early within his development, his past performances – notably against Manchester City last month – are an indication that he could be a dynamic and invaluable tool to open a multi-faceted box of talent for Chelsea.
Having made nine appearances for the Blues since his arrival in SW6, the 19-year-old has indeed offered glimpses of the mouth-watering potential within his clutches. With just one start to his name so far, he will be hoping that he is offered a platform to impress as the campaign approaches the business end.
The England U20 international made a marked impact in the 1-0 league defeat against Man City last month, recording a Sofascore match rating of 7.01 after replacing the injured Christian Pulisic in the 28th minute.
Completing 87% of his passes that night, Chukwuemeka was very much at the centre of the action, taking 47 touches, hitting the woodwork and supplying one key pass, also winning six of his ten ground duels.
With six successful tackles and two interceptions, it was exactly the kind of all-embracing, vigorous performance that Chelsea have been somewhat lacking this term.
It is perhaps a testament to Chukwuemeka’s skillset in itself that he is in-and-around such an affluent and expansive crop of players, featuring in the matchday squad in Chelsea’s last eight league games, and he is clearly held in high regard.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded him as a “superstar in the making“, whilst Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy dubbed him a “phenomenal talent” after his move from the Midlands to London last year.
As per WhoScored, the former Villa gem has recorded an 80.9% average pass success rate across his career so far, a statistic which certainly belies his tender age and illustrates the slick assurance with the ball at his feet.
He also has an eye for his defensive duties, averaging 0.8 tackles per game in his career so far. Should the cogs fall into place in Cobham, he could well forge a path into Potter’s regular plans over the coming years.
Following a dreadful run of form which has left Chelsea with just three wins from their last 13 matches across all competitions, the 47-year-old might be inclined to take a punt on his precocious talent.
Granted, the Blues have a wide and glamorous pool of players following the heavy spending over the past year, but if he is given a more frequent role in the Chelsea squad, Chukwuemeka could turn their flagging season around.
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