Chelsea have been lauded by many as the club with the best youth academy in England. The Blues’ youth setup has produced a number of top players in recent times, including the likes of John Terry, Mason Mount, Reece James, Ron Harris, Jimmy Greaves, Terry Venables, and, of course, Declan Rice, who is the most expensive English player ever.
The club continues to nurture young talents, with recent graduates like Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, and Levi Colwill making an impact. Here are three Chelsea youth academy players to watch for in the coming seasons.
Harvey Vale
Harvey Vale is one of the brightest stars in the Chelsea academy right now, and his biggest strength is his versatility. The 20-year-old is a multi-faceted player who is capable of playing in almost any position, including the forward line, attacking midfield, wing-back, and full-back.
The Haywards Heath-born talent started out as a youth player at Crowborough, a local side. He later joined Fulham, where he was trialled in different positions before settling for a role as a midfielder. After six years at Fulham at age 16, Harvey Vale joined Chelsea, and he has been trying to join the club’s first team ever since.
In the 2022–23 season, Vale was sent on a short-term loan to Hull City, featuring for the Tigers for a brief period before returning to Stamford Bridge in January 2023. Subsequently, he spent the remainder of the season in the academy. Following this, in August 2023, Vale secured a long-term loan deal with Bristol Rovers.
It is at Bristol that Vale is undergoing a trial as a left-back, and he has shown exceptional performance in this role. Manager Joey Barton has recently drawn comparisons between Vale and former Arsenal and Chelsea player Ashley Cole, praising him for a series of impressive displays.
Ian Maatsen
Unlike Harvey Vale, Ian Maatsen spent most of his youth career in the Netherlands, playing for the likes of Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam, and PSV before moving to Chelsea in 2018. Born in Vlaardingen, Maatsen was picked up at a very early age by Feyenoord, and although the club allegedly dropped him a few years later for not growing like his other teammates, it didn’t stop Sparta Rotterdam from bringing him into their books.
After a two-year stint with Sparta Rotterdam, Vale made another move, this time to PSV, one of the prominent clubs in the Netherlands. His talent caught the attention of scouts while playing for the Under-16 team of the Netherlands national team, leading to his transfer to Chelsea in 2018.
Vale made his long-awaited debut in a significant 7-1 victory against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup, entering the game as a substitute. Following his debut, he underwent loan spells at various clubs, including Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Burnley, and his current stint at Borussia Dortmund, where he has been a regular presence in the first team.
Maatsen has bagged 143 appearances since joining Chelsea in 2018, including his loan deals and his appearances for the club’s U21 and first team. During the first half of the 2023–24 season, he made 12 appearances in the Premier League, a significant increase in top-flight involvement with Chelsea. Subsequently, Maatsen agreed to a loan move to Borussia Dortmund until the conclusion of the season.
Deivid Washington
Everyone was surprised when Chelsea decided to splash a whopping £17 million on Deivid Washington from Santos last year. He was one of the young players Chelsea decided to invest heavily in, and despite being signed for their U21 team with the hope of developing him into a first-team regular, Washington is still very highly rated at the club.
Given Washington’s proficiency as a goal-scoring forward, Chelsea was well aware of the talent they had acquired. They promptly secured him a seven-year contract, including the option to extend for an additional year. Despite being relatively young, born in 2005, Washington has made 18 senior appearances in his career, with 16 for Santos and two for Chelsea.
All hands point to the fact that Deivid Washington is one for the future, and all eyes are on him at Chelsea to make the most of his chances when he finally starts getting them.
