Alfie Gilchrist was once tipped by colleague -inlandse Chelsea defender John Terry to follow in his glorious footsteps.
The approval of Terry of approval came halfway through the 2023/4 season that ended with Gilchrist who signed a new contract, scored his first senior goal for the blues and was named Academy Player of the Year.
But things move quickly and the Lifelong Chelsea fan is almost the newest youth teamster to leave the club in search of opportunities on the first team.
In honesty opposite the blues, trio Reece James from home-grown James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill three of the players who have blocked the path from Gilchrist to the defense of the first team as a right back or back.
But the club policy to buy young talent from all over the world has also pushed it to the starting door.
Even before the arrival of Jorrel Hato, the 19-year-old from Ajax signed for £ 37 million, writing was on the wall for Gilchrist, now 21.
While he was still on loan in Sheffield United, Aaron Anselmino, then 19, was recalled by loan at former club Boca Juniors and played at the Club World Cup.
Mamadou Sarr, also 19, was previously signed in this window from Strasbourg before he was lent to the sister club.
So Gilchrist is almost certain to move in the coming weeks.
But it doesn't have to be a case to take one step back to put two forwards if the interest rate of the Bundesliga becomes something concrete.
Championship clubs, including Derby, Blackburn and Middlesbrough, are on site after the decent stint of Gilchrist in Sheffield United last season.
He also attracted the attention of Saudi Pro League parties.
Yet Germany can prove to be the most attractive prospect after a number of young English players have roamed a track there in recent years.
Including one of the incoming players of Chelsea this summer, Jamie Gittens.
The winger, just like Jadon Sancho for him, left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund as a teenager and returned to England as a player who was worth tens of millions.
If Gilchrist chooses the same route, he will hope to do the same,
But for now, wherever he goes, he will cost less than the original asking price of £ 8 million from Chelsea and perhaps less than £ 5 million.
Derry Boy
New Chelsea signed Jesse Derry has already branded 'right chels' for a message that he posted on social media on the day his move was announced.
After sending a sincere farewell to the former Club Crystal Palace, the tricky winger posted a photo of himself as a child in a classic Chelsea shirt with the caption of Young. UTC (Up the Chels) ''
The son of the former Premier League player Shaun Derry also posted the official announcement photos with the caption “A dream come true to become a member of the world champions”
The 18 -year -old seemed to follow the path of Jadon Sancho, with a switch to the Bundesliga that was on his hands before the blues wipe him off his feet and away from Selhurst Park.
Derry also has a cousin in Chelsea in the form of Reggie Watson, a highly valued academic perspective that was also drawn from Palace in the past year.
Derry's form for Palace's under-18 side earned him a call-up in England. It is still to be seen whether he will stay in Chelsea in the coming season or will go on loan.
Sat-NAV set to quantity
It is no secret that Chelsea has built up many of the very best young talent in the world in recent years.
Estevao Willian, Jorrel Hato, Kendry Paez, Geovany Quenda and Mike Penders are all still younger than 25 years by the time that 2030 rolls around.
But one of their young people with an incredibly high ceiling may just go under the radar, in the form of the 16-year-old Dastan Satpaev.
The striker is already online compared to Sergio Aguero, with videos in which he plays for Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan that becomes viral.
Chelsea paid nearly £ 4 million to secure his services, with the Kazache striker having established a five-year contract with the option of an extra year when he turns 18.
Satpaev shone the most recently in the second qualifying round of the Champions League for his side, so that a stunning comeback was fueled in a 3-2 victory over Kups Kuopio, and in the process became the youngest player who once scored in the Champions League.
The blues may have done it again.
Santos' Tires
'Hustle' is not a word that is lightly conceived when you grow up as a football as a child in Brazil and try to be noticed by one of the largest teams in the country before you dare to dream about moving to Europe or represents your national team.
But Andrey Santos is a young man who was busy in abundance and a determination to make it rarely by others.
X Account Thesecretscout revealed a message that Santos was sent directly a few years ago in which the young player spoke about a YouTube video of him who wanted to make the random public.
Santos is said to have been around 16 at the time, the same age at which he made his professional debut for Vasco da Gama before making 47 performances for the club.
The message was: “Hello, I have a video, but I think it's on the Yotuber (YouTube)” followed by a link to images of him that plays for Brazil's Under-15s on the South American U-15 Championships 2019.
Santos got Europe and Chelsea. A strong season on loan in Strasbourg in 2024/5 has given him a place in the first team of Enzo Maresca.
But he will have to show even more elitental talent and mentality to force his way along Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia.
David's big heart
Ex-Chelsea defender David Lee steps on his bike after a brush with death.
Lee, 55, who played 151 league games for the blues between 1988 and 1998, had a life-saving triple bypass operation earlier this year.
To thank the medical staff and to do his bit for others in a similar situation, he will bike 130 miles with friend with friend Paul in two days, from his house near Bristol to Stamford Bridge, with the aim of kicking off time against Fulham on Saturday 30 August.
Lee collects money for the British Heart Foundation and the confidence of Chelsea Fits Players.
Chelsea fans or someone else who wants to help him achieve and beat his £ 5,000 target on https://www.gofundme.com/f/cycle-saltford-stamford-bridge
Trophy -lift?
How enthusiastic are Chelsea fans who feel for the new season?
Wednesday together in Glory event in Stamford Bridge should be a considerable indication.
Supporters get the chance to celebrate with stars from both the men's and DameS teams after they won five trophies between them last season.
The silverware of the Club World Cup lifted by Reece James Last month is placed in the Club Museum Cabinet for the first time.
And the silverware of the Men's Conference League, as well as the domestic triple trophies won by the ladies team, will also be visible.
If you think that six Chelsea players were part of the English team that the ladies won -it has been a few months before the club.