In recent years, we have seen plenty of youngsters break through and become starters at top clubs very early on in their careers. Of course, Lamine Yamal is a Ballon d'Or contender already. He is not the only wonderkid who is a regular starter for Barcelona though. So is Pau Cubarsi. Warren Zaire-Emery has made over 100 appearances for PSG. And Estevao is already making strides in Chelsea blue.
Chelsea might already have a talent in their youth ranks who might end up in the first-team picture very soon. That is none other than Ryan Kavuma-McQueen.
The 16-year-old recently scored four goals and provided one assist in a 7-5 win over Germany. Of course, it was at the U17 level, but even then, how often do you hear about performances like that?
It is not a one-off display either. Kavuma-McQueen has been making noise in the youth and developmental levels for Chelsea for a little while too. The 16-year-old has four goals and two assists in 406 minutes of action for the U21 side. That is an impressive stat to say the least.
Chelsea player scores four goals in win against Germany
So, it looks like Chelsea have quite the talent on their hands. Now, it is about convincing him that Stamford Bridge is the place to be for him to continue his development and providing him the right pathway into the first-team.
In the past, we have seen players like Jamal Musiala leave Chelsea before ever making it into the first-team picture. Today, it would take a transfer fee in the region of €150 million if the Blues wanted to bring him back to Stamford Bridge. They cannot let something similar happen with Kavuma-McQueen.
Then again, it is important not to get too far ahead of ourselves. Things do not always go according to plan in football. So, Kavuma-McQueen has to keep his feet on the ground and continue working hard if he is to be a success at the highest level. He is doing well but a lot of players fail to adjust to the step up to senior football.