From the likes of Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi, the U20 World Cup has served as a stage for football’s greatest young talents to blossom into stardom. In this year’s edition, Chelsea fielded several youngsters representing their respective countries. Although not every one of the young Blues had the most chances to impress, there were few standouts that have staked their claim for a shot at first-team football in the future.
Rankings for all Chelsea youngsters who participated in the U20 World Cup
1. Cesare Casadei
Chelsea may have a gem here. Cesare Casadei lit up the U20 World Cup, leading Italy to the final while being the tournament’s leading scorer and winning the golden ball with seven goals and two assists to his name. The Italian midfielder mainly played as a No.8 behind the No.10 and the two strikers. He loves to roam forward into the box and that was the result of many of his goals in the tournament.
Casadei has an incredible physical frame for his age, allowing him to tower above his peers for aerial challenges and score as well. On the ball, he’s not flashy, he looks to either progress the ball or distribute it quickly and then move into an attacking position so he can be an asset to finish crosses and passes into the box. Casadei just concluded a loan at Championship side Reading and with the midfield exodus happening this summer, he’s certainly impressed enough to show what he can contribute to the team at least in preseason.
2. Kendry Paez
At only 16 years old, Ray Kendry Paez is already one of football’s most exciting young prospects. The skillful attacking midfielder is a must watch on the ball, able to get past players with the silkiest of touches and create chances with ease for his teammates. His precision in picking out his teammates with his left foot resembles the ability of Hakim Ziyech, but he adds a touch of flair and pace to his game.
At the U20 World Cup, Paez played as a consistent starter for the Ecuadorian national team, contributing two assists and a goal. His goal against Fiji in Ecuador’s last group stage match made him the youngest ever scorer in the history of the FIFA U20 World Cup. Paez will join Chelsea once he turns 18 and if he continues on this trajectory, we could be talking about a generational talent that could directly slot into the first team.
3. Andrey Santos
Coming into the tournament, Andrey Santos was likely the Chelsea prospect with the most expectations to impress. Santos captained Brazil to triumph in the U20 South American Championship while being his nation’s top scorer. Although Brazil was eliminated by Israel in the quarterfinals of this tournament, Santos showed his quality once more registering two goals and an assist. The young Brazilian is versatile in terms of where he can play in the midfield. Though not a traditional defensive midfielder, he frequently drops deep, combining defensive duties with forward surges, usually adding to Brazil’s attacks either by being a goal threat in the box or utilizing his passing and ball-carrying ability to create chances. His genius flick in the box to teammate Matheus Nascimento to assist Brazil’s second goal against Israel is an example of how instrumental he was in the buildup and end product of a majority of Brazil’s attacks.
4. Gabriel Slonina
Gabriel Slonina and Team USA’s U20 World Cup started flawlessly, with three wins and three clean sheets in the group stage. In the Round of 16, the US would thrash New Zealand 4-0, making it four clean sheets in a row for Slonina. However, in the quarterfinals the U.S would suffer a defensive disaster in a 2-0 loss against Uruguay. Up until the quarterfinal, Slonina was having a fantastic tournament and the two goals he conceded against Uruguay were not clearly his fault, one being an own goal. Overall, he displayed his ability as a great shot stopper and at 6 foot 4 he already has the physical frame to be a top goalkeeper. Given the current uncertainty in the keeper position for Chelsea and the rumors of a new first choice keeper purchase being a priority, Slonina would benefit from a loan to a mid-table Premier League or a Championship side.
5. Bashir Humphreys
Bashir Humphreys started all of England’s games predominantly as a left centre back until their elimination in the round of 16 to Italy. Overall, Humphreys was decent defensively and even managed to score a header in England’s second group stage win against Uruguay. It’s obvious why he’s been relied on for England at the youth level. Not only is he an imposing figure physically, he’s also been praised for his leadership abilities at such a young age. Humphreys also impressed on loan at Bundesliga 2 side SC Paderborn 02. Although realistically he could be due for another loan to further develop, he could definitely be a key piece in the future for squad depth in CFC’s defense.
6. Harvey Vale
Harvey Vale is a Chelsea academy product that has impressed through the youth ranks for the Blues but has failed to permanently break into the first team. In this tournament he played predominantly on the left flank using his pace and creating chances for his teammates. He recorded an assist but didn’t necessarily stand out in terms of final output. Although he was able to deliver plenty of key passes, he was timid in terms of taking players on and taking more risks. In this moment, it’s hard to see a path into the first team for Vale with the surplus of wingers and forwards in the squad. However, at only 19 years old there is still time for him to make his mark at Chelsea.
7. Carney Chukwuemeka
Carney Chukwuemeka only played one game in the tournament as he was on first team duty with Chelsea for the end of the season. Unfortunately, that sole game was an elimination loss against Italy in the Round of 16. He was bright on the ball, progressing well into the final third and laying off key passes to create chances for his teammates.
8. Teddy Sharman Lowe
Teddy Sharman Lowe served as a backup keeper in the tournament for England U20 No.1 Matthew Aiden Cox. In his lone game, Lowe kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 outing against Iraq. Despite the limited chances, you can’t ask for much more.