Hard to say exactly how many goals have been scored by Donnell McNeilly for the youth side of Chelsea over the years. There are different age groups, competitions, games officially and unofficially.
What we do know is that the 19-year-old striker born in London is good for their goal trusses.
Which age group he has represented in recent seasons, he is routinely ready as the most important scorer of that team. He did it with the Under 16s in 2021-22. He did it with the Under 18S in 2022-23. He helped himself a total of 30 for young people under 18 and younger than 21s in 2023-24.
Now this season, nobody in the Premier League 2 has more goals than McNeilly, who models his powerful direct competition on his Chelsea Idol Didier Drogba. The blues are fourth from the 26 clubs participating in the PL2 after 18 games played, and McNeilly scored his 10th in that competition for the Under 21s in a 3-1 win in Norwich last week.
Also involved in that victory were Shim Mheuka, Sam Rak-Sakyi, Kaiden Wilson, Kiano Dyer, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Genesis Antwi, Harrison Murray-Campbell and ATO Ampah-eight teammates who made Enzo Marsca this season.
Yet there has been no such reward for McNeilly in exchange for his reliability. Not even in the Conference League, where an unlimited number of players who are eligible for their B list can be added to the team. Some have discovered that strange, especially considering Maresca, has been without a senior striker since the beginning of February after injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.
It was in November 2022 when McNeilly signed professional conditions at Chelsea after being 17. His contract ends at the end of this season. Confidential has been told that the Premier League club has submitted a new deal for his consideration. He didn't sign it.
Probably, after he has noticed that his colleagues were rewarded with senior call-ups, the teenager has not seen any proof of a path for himself. Without those guarantees you could forgive McNeilly because he felt a natural restraint to bind his future to Chelsea. The feeling between some sources is that the reward must come first, not after you have agreed to give them your next five years.
When Josh Acheampong was with Chelsea in his own contract pont, he received an overview of the project. After his deal was announced on December 18, Chelsea confirmed the next day that he and Tyrique George had permanently promoted to the senior team.
Acheampong had already appeared for the first team of Chelsea when the 18-year-old defender committed himself to the club until 2029, but McNeilly did not have that chance.
Unless something changes, the child that Cobham has called his house since the age of 11 – and consistently scored his academy in the way to adulthood – the border for someone new next season next season.
Maresca's sales pitch up to £ 40 million Wonderkid prior to 2026 Move
It was a 5-0 loss away in Arsenal, which after a season in Chelsea went a way to push Mauricio Pochettino to the starting door. Although Maresca also lost his visit to the Emirates Stadium-with a much more narrow margin of 1-0-Blijft, optimism around his appointment at a five-year-old deal with the option of a sixth.
So much so that sources in the camp of Geovany Quenda say that Maresca personally spoke with the 17-year-old winger of Sporting CP before that £ 40 million deal was unveiled last week. That sales pitch of the Chelsea head coach says something, since the teenager arrives in London only in the summer of 2026, because he will first spend another season in Portugal.
We are told that Maresca Quenda gave a message of confidence in the course of their conversation and told him to continue evolving, learning and improving. He added that he is familiar as someone who is perfect for the Chelsea project and that he looks forward to working with him in the future.
KDH with the PFA
Talk to those who have worked with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and they will describe the 26-year-old as a thinker. Has been a scholar in Leicester since he was. Very switched on.
Dewsbury-Hall continues this theme and is already looking at life after football, because he is currently spending the PFA Business School's Sporting Director's HIP course.
Under the leadership of Les Reed and Andoni Zubizarreta it is a two -year program with two -hour virtual sessions every two weeks and four sessions personally per year. It costs around £ 11,800 to complete.
The Estevao team for the World Cup club confirmed
Insiders from Palmeiras have told confidentially that 17-year-old Wonderkid Estevao Willian will play for them during the club World Cup this summer instead of Chelsea. We asked the Brazilian club through our man on the floor, Josue Seixas.
For his age, Estevao is considered one of the best in the world and will become a member of Chelsea this summer for a first fee worth £ 29 million.
The Chelsea XI that can be sold to finance Super Striker signature
Chelsea wants to sign a striker this summer and those who try to finance them, we can confirm that the Premier League club must sell to meet the limitations of the profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
The work is already underway in that respect while building another busy summer of trade.
They have no shortage of options for potential sales – so much that you could practically make an XI of a salable list of Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Kepa Arrizabalaga, David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix, Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga.
Carney Chukwuemeka is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, who have a purchase option. Such as Everton with Armando Broja and the same applies to Santos with the 19 Washington.
Southampton will have to negotiate if they want to keep Lesley Ugochukwu, while it is unclear what will happen to Alfie Gilchrist as soon as his loan with Sheffield United is over.
Others such as Christopher Nunku and Dewsbury-Hall can also leave when opportunities arrive. There are no plans to lose Enzo Fernandez, despite real links in Madrid.
Chelsea's salable XI: Arrizabalaga; Gilchrist, Chalobah, Disasi, Chilwell; Sterling, Veiga, Chukwuemeka, Felix; Broja, Fofana
Fernandez and Caicedo worked together on and next to the field
Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are not only midfield partners on the field. They are connected because Fernandez has registered with the same marketing agency as Caicedo.
They are both at Vanquish, who will work on managing their external images. This includes their press, social media, content, business developments and commercialization interests.
View Chelsea Train for £ 3K
Chelsea demolished two VIP tickets for fans to watch the first team in training in Cobham. With the starting offer currently at £ 3,000 – and the auction that will be closed this Friday – the proceeds go to the Chelsea Foundation.
The two guests will also meet players after the session.
No to touters, yes against shoulders
This week, Chelsea sent an e-mail to seasonal card holders and explained how they approach Tickettouts.
Bed forward to confidential, the club locked up certain words for emphasis, such as how they 'stopped' with recommended tickets to enter Stamford Bridge, 'canceled' more than 1500 membership accounts linked to such activities, and 'arrested' cheekers on match days. This follows the furore around Todd Boehly and lively seats.
Proponents have been worried about the atmosphere at games, and some think it is linked to the number of tourists that pops up. When Chelsea is opposed to Legia Warschaw on 17 April in their quarter -final second stage of the Conference League on Stamford Bridge, there is still a process of a singing section, this time with 150 seasonal card holders who came together in the scouring pan height.
Such an initiative is not an option during Premier League matches because the section is taken over by regulars, but it has an internal support from that within Chelsea in cup tires.
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