Todd Boehly is securing Chelsea’s future by signing youngsters with high potential

Chelsea are about to complete the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Cesare Casadei in a deal reportedly worth €20 million.

The Italian prodigy becomes the sixth signing in what has been a busy transfer window for Chelsea with a clear pattern of signing youngsters.

19-year-old Casadei is the third teenager to arrive at Chelsea this summer, all of whom cost a total of €47 million which begs the question; what is Todd Boehly cooking at Stamford Bridge?

Signing youngsters is not a new concept for Chelsea, the previous administrative era led by Roman Abramovich and Marina Granovskaia focused on capturing good players at a young age with long term plans of either making the first team or selling them at a massive profit.

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What Boehly is doing in his first summer at the club is similar to the previous operation at Chelsea but with a twist.

The American has taken a Football Manager-esque approach to his first transfer window in European football, targeting wonderkids with potential to improve the team within 1-2 years.

Unlike Abramovich’s approach to youth, it is clear that Boehly has plans for these teenage signings to play for the club soon rather than joining the massive loan army and eventually getting sold.

The new American face of Chelsea would not spend a combined €47 million of two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old, especially in strategic positions if there was no plans to use them.

Chelsea started by signing 18-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina from American club Chicago Fire for €9 million and loaning him back to the club for the season.

The American goalkeeper is considered a wonderkid and is expected to take the baton from 30-year-old Edouard Mendy to become Chelsea’s number one in the near future. 

After which the surprise signing of 18-year-old English midfielder, Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa for €18 million and now Cesare Casadei from Inter for €20 million.

Both of these players are expected to be mainstays in the Chelsea midfield as soon as next season, especially with Jorginho and Ngolo Kante both set to be out of contract in the next summer.

Both Chukwuemeka and Casadei were named in the team of the tournament for the recently-concluded UEFA under 19 European championship thanks to their impressive displays for England and Italy respectively.

That fact speaks to the level of quality that made Chelsea splash about €40 million on these two teenage midfielders and they both will be first-team players in no time.

The club’s pursuit of Everton’s Anthony Gordon is another indication of Boehly’s plans as they have already had bids upward of €45 million turned down for the 21-year-old winger.

While Boehly has proven to be open to signing players for today, he is is also clearly investing in Chelsea’s tomorrow by signing these high quality youngsters.