Chelsea’s prestigious Cobham academy has produced its fair share of top-class talent over the years, with European football littered with stars rising through the ranks in west London.
Indeed, in the current Chelsea squad, Mason Mount and Reece James are both graduates now playing starring roles for the Blues, instrumental in winning the 2020/21 Champions League; West Ham United’s Declan Rice is another to have played his formative years for the outfit.
While the club’s current fortunes are less than desirable, Chelsea languish in tenth, 11 points off Tottenham Hotspur in fourth, the knowledge that one of European football’s most prolific and revered youth systems allows a steady flow of talent assures concerned supporters that the future is set to be fruitful, especially given the affluence of owner Todd Boehly.
And with starlets such as Richard Olise rising through the ranks, there is indeed plenty to be optimistic about.
Who is Richard Olise?
The brother of rising Crystal Palace midfielder Michael Olise, the Chelsea youth player has been making waves beneath the senior surface, having agreed a scholarship deal in 2021.
The 18-year-old has made 15 appearances in the U18 Premier League, supplying one assist, and has been a reliable presence in his dynamic role at right-back, hailed as one of the Blues’ top “talents” by football journalist Antonio Mango.
His robustness was highlighted by his club, who described him on the official website as ‘a very calm and composed right-sided defender who has the ability to both defend and attack, he has all the attributes of a modern-day full-back.’
The aforementioned vignette certainly bears shades of established phenom James, who has made 139 appearances for the Blues since graduating from the academy, now valued at £61m by Football Transfers and being prepared for the captaincy role at the outfit.
With the 23-year-old encapsulating the dynamic attributes needed to flourish as that quintessential ‘modern’ right-back, Olise certainly has the perfect senior peer to serve as an understudy to, with James ranking among the top 12% of full-backs in Europe’s best divisions for assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.
Chelsea’s defensive right flank certainly looks secure for the coming age, with James among the very best in the position worldwide and Lyon’s Malo Gusto signing for £26m in January, loaned back to the Ligue 1 outfit until summer.
But with Olise pushing for a role among the seniors, Blues technical director Christopher Vivell and the club’s manager would be prudent to meticulously assess the player’s development, and ensure that his departure in the future does not come back to bite.
