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Ever since BlueCo and Clearlake took over at Chelsea in 2022, the Blues have signed the most exciting young players on the globe and the next on the line if Geovany Quenda.
It is a system that is now being criticised. Wayne Rooney said on Match of the Day over the weekend that Chelsea will not win anything unless Boehly adds some experience to what is an incredibly young squad.
It is easy to forget that Reece James, the club captain, is only 26. Cole Palmer is 23, as is Levi Colwill and Moises Caicedo, Chelsea’s midfield lynchpin, described as one of the best midfielders in the world, is 24.
It’s time to bin the five-year plan, Todd 😡
Joe Cole is absolutely right.
Chelsea need more experience in this side if they are to go from European hopefuls to title challengers. But their ability to sign the gems of world football is undeniable, and Geovany Quenda is the next to join.
GOAL rate Chelsea’s Quenda as the ninth-best talent in the world
Every year, GOAL compiles a list of the world’s 50 best young players. This year, the list includes players born on January 1st, 2007, or after, meaning any players 19 or younger in the entire footballing world.
It will come as little surprise that Lamine Yamal is right at the top of the list. The Barcelona youngster is right up there in terms of the world’s best players entirely, let alone just the world’s best wonderkids.
Photo by Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
But interestingly, Sporting Lisbon winger and soon-to-be Chelsea star Quenda was rated as the ninth-best youngster in world football. Quenda will arrive at Chelsea in the summer, a deal agreed a year ago.
Indeed, Chelsea announced the signing of Quenda for a £40m fee in March 2025, having enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season with Sporting Lisbon, and earning a senior Portugal cap under Roberto Martinez.
Which other Chelsea players were named in GOAL’s list?
Following his move to Chelsea, Quenda has endured an injury-hit season with the winger forced to watch large parts of the season from the sidelines. Quenda has even spent time at Chelsea’s Cobham facilities.
One of many problems on the pitch at the moment 🤦♂️
Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
The winger will arrive at Chelsea in the summer. But he is not the only Chelsea player on the list, which comes as no surprise given the amount of youngsters in this Chelsea side. Estevao is 2nd out of 50.
Only one behind Yamal. Kendry Paez, struggling to avoid injury on loan at River Plate from Chelsea, was rated as the 20th player to watch, while another incoming Chelsea star Dastan Satpaev was rated 43rd.
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