Mudryk and Chilwell replaced as Chelsea to unleash wonderkids including their own Grealish

Chelsea’s academy is responsible for handing an abundance of gifted players their path into English football and beyond, so it is difficult not to get excited about the fresh crop of talent emerging from the Cobham pool. Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala all made their names coming through the ranks at the Blues’ base in Surrey and plenty more will follow.

And despite the influx of foreign talent purchased, including Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez, the future is still bright at Cobham. The Under-21 development squad have a new coach Filipe Coelho, who replaced boss Mark Robinson after he was appointed as Burton Albion’s new manager.

Coelho’s work with Benfica’s esteemed academy impressed club chiefs, and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be relying on Coelho to funnel through some of his best academy talents.

Express Sport takes a closer look at the five gems who could entrench themselves in the senior squad.

Tyrique George

Not since Callum Hudson-Odoi has there been such excitement about a winger in the Chelsea academy, with George’s agile running style and blistering pace complimenting his superb technique. The 18-year-old has risen up the youth ranks at Cobham after joining the club at the age of eight and the winger is on the brink of making his senior debut.

George starred for the Under-18s team in 2022-23, earning him a promotion to the U21s squad last year, and he went from strength to strength at club level by scoring 20 goals across all age groups. England coaches have their sights set on him too, having been impressed with his displays for the Three Lions’ Under-18s squad.

Towards the end of the season, the winger also made the Chelsea bench on three occasions under Mauricio Pochettino, showing how he is already in the conversation for first-team minutes.

While he didn’t get on to make his debut, George will be part of the squad for the pre-season tour of the USA and will surely get a chance to shine – putting pressure on Mykhaylo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling ahead of the new season.

Josh Acheampong

Unlike George, Acheampong did make his first senior appearance in a blue shirt and sparkled on his first outing at Stamford Bridge. The right-back, who can also play as a wing-back and at the heart of the defence, is a versatile member of the squad and his incredible physical attributes means he should get some game time under Maresca.

He wasn’t daunted by the occasion when making his way onto the pitch for the closing stages of their win over Tottenham, throwing himself into challenges and looking comfortable on the ball.

Acheampong is highly regarded amongst the youth staff and scored Chelsea’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat by Manchester United in the U18 Premier League national final earlier this year. If Trevoh Chalobah is sold this summer as Chelsea look to comply with PSF regulations, Acheampong would be a natural replacement in the squad.

Leo Castledine

Chelsea made a song and dance about tying down Castledine to a new four-year contract because there were concerns the 19-year-old would leave as a free agent, with big clubs in Europe circling around the highly-rated playmaker. Now, they will be delighted he chose to stay put.

With his wavy long hair, inevitable comparisons are made to Jack Grealish. But when you think of Castledine, there are glimpses of Mason Mount in his movement between the lines. He is capable of playing across the three behind the striker, but moves best in the central areas.

He impressed John Terry with his mentality when the Blues icon worked with the Chelsea youth squad, calling Castledine a “great trainer” and marvelled at how the midfielder “treats each session like a cup final”. That can only be a positive factor for Castledine as he looks to cement his spot in the Blues squad.

Ishe Samuels-Smith

There is arguably more pressure on Samuels-Smith to prove his worth than his academy colleagues after he cost £4m from Everton in 2023. But the 17-year-old is thriving for the Under-21s and a first-team debut doesn’t look far off.

With speculation persisting that Marc Cucurella or Ben Chilwell could be sold this summer, Samuels-Smith will be looking to put his name forward to become the backup option. Chelsea have already signed Renato Veiga from FC Basel for £12m, but the Portuguese is a utility man who can play a number of positions, and Samuels-Smith’s path therefore may not be blocked.

He is just as comfortable in pinging 50 yard diagonals as he is in executing well-timed sliding tackles. The teenager has the profile that Maresca would want from a left-sided defender, and he could be called upon for some cup competitions if he continues to impress.

Jimi Tauriainen

If there are concerns about Enzo Fernandez’s place in the team and Cesare Casadei is offloaded this summer, Tauriainen could provide the midfield solution.

Chelsea have already signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester for £30m, while Maresca has a number of other central midfield options to choose from in Moises Caicedo, Lesley Ugochukwu, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia and Conor Gallagher.

But the young Finn, 20, has proved he is an unflappable presence in the central areas of the park and embodies similar qualities to Granit Xhaka. After making two brief appearances from the bench under Pochettino last term, he could be brought back into the fold again.