Chelsea youth academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah has confirmed that he will be staying with the club until at least 2026. In a recent announcement, the Blues officially ended all rumours about Chalobah and tied him down to the club long-term. Although this is just one of many contacts that the club needs to sort out, this is a step in the right direction and giving credit to the youngsters is something that Chelsea needs to do more. Youth stars need the motivation and the appreciation to keep performing well, a new and improved long-term contract is exactly what Chalobah needed.
The 22-year-old, who has been in the Chelsea system since his childhood, will stay at the club for at least five years more. He was one of the surprise starters in the season opener, the UEFA Super Cup match against Villarreal, and his performance in that match really showed fans what he can do. Chalobah is a determined and passionate defender who works perfectly in the three-man system and he also has the ability to play in the midfield, as a central defensive midfielder. Apart from that, he has also shown his aerial skills and his ability to shoot from long range.
Chelsea academy graduate, centerback Trevoh Chalobah, signs a long-term contract after a stellar start to the season
Chalobah has definitely been the best young player of the season so far for the Blues and he can be the long-term solution to the Declan Rice conundrum. Why buy someone from a rival club in West Ham for almost £70-80 million, when Chelsea can utilise its academy instead? Chalobah has been working diligently and makes good use of the opportunities given to him by Thomas Tuchel. He seems to be very happy to have extended his contract and he said this in an interview:
"“It’s quite surreal. It’s a dream for me to sign a new long-term contract for my boyhood club and hopefully the dream continues. It’s been an unbelievable start to the season and something I never expected but it just shows that the hard work I’ve put in and going out on loans has paid off.” Source: Chelsea FC"
Now that he has signed a long-term extension, Tuchel might start to give him some more experience in the tougher and more important matches. As of now, Chalobah is seen as a rotational player who mostly plays in League Cup fixtures and the easier contests in the Premier League. However, since he is now undoubtedly one of the future stars for the club, game time against the big teams could help with his development.
The one thing the Blues must make sure of is that they pace his development. Putting some youngsters—such as Mason Mount—under pressure helps them grow and develop. However, for other budding stars, like Tammy Abraham, the extra pressure can become detrimental. Chelsea already lost two brilliant academy stars in Abraham and Fikayo Tomori, supporters will surely hope that Chalobah will perform better than that duo. Now, the Blues must focus on getting the contracts of Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Mount over the line.
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