Chelsea FC Pursuing US International Matt Miazga
Chelsea FC are reportedly on the verge of signing American youngster Matt Miazga
According to ESPN FC, the Blues are looking to add yet another talented youngster to the club. This time it is not a pacey winger from Brazil, a central midfielder from Eastern Europe, or a forward from the Iberian Peninsula, it is a defender from the United States.
New York Red Bulls Academy product Matt Miazga is the target in question for Chelsea and the rumors are swirling that the deal for the youngster will be completed during the January window. Miazga is a native of Clifton, New Jersey and is of Polish descent.
He was eligible to play for the Polish national team but made his decision to represent the US and made it official with a competitive senior appearance in a World Cup qualifier. The decision was reportedly an easy one for the youngster as he only made one appearance with the Poland U18 squad before joining the US youth setup.
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The young center back has been with the Red Bulls since 2009 and has made 34 appearances since joining the senior squad in 2013. He became a regular in the side in 2015 and helped New York become the best team in MLS with one of the league’s best defenses. His squad won the Supporters’ Shield, a trophy awarded to the best team of the regular season, but they fell short in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
As for Miazga’s actual ability, the opinions are quite divided. Obviously the Red Bulls thought enough of him to make him their starting centerback but some whispers on Twitter claim that MLS talent scouts think he does not have the talent to succeed in Europe.
Chelsea FC fans can be forgiven for not getting excited about this potential signing from MLS because the standard of defending in the league is so poor. It does give American Chelsea fans another reason to root for the club but they are not convinced he will be playing in the club’s shirt any time soon.
Miazga himself does appear to be a Chelsea fan as he tweeted his support when Fernando Torres scored that magical goal at the Camp Nou. His pro-Chelsea tweets have since been deleted which lends credence to the fact that he may be trying to cover his tracks ahead of a move. Either he is moving to Stamford Bridge or to another club and does not want those tweets from his teenage years haunting him.
The tweet in question:
We have seen a handful of players from MLS come to the Premier League and succeed, most notably Clint Dempsey, Geoff Cameron, and several goalkeepers. Cameron has done well at Stoke in a defensive midfield role and DeAndre Yedlin has found his feet at Sunderland but playing for Chelsea is an entirely different prospect.
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Some are comparing Miazga to Papy Djilobodji which is unfair to the 20-year-old as we have no idea what sort of player he will become. Papy was a finished product, and a not very good one, when he came to Chelsea but Miazga is still young enough where he could become a part of the squad.
He could also be loaned out for the next five years or so and get sold to another club for a small profit. Either way, both club and player are taking a risk if this deal goes through but as always Chelsea fans must hope for the best.