Chelsea are ‘hot on the trail’ of highly-rated Nigeria U20 international Abduljelil Kamaldeen from Kwara Football Academy, as per the Sun.
The 16-year-old is currently featuring for his nation at the U20 World Cup in Chile. Despite only coming on as a late substitute, Kamaldeen managed to leave his mark during Nigeria’s narrow defeat to Norway earlier this week.
Up against opponents as much as five years older, he nearly salvaged a point for the Flying Eagles with a driving run into the penalty area late on.
His performance has now raised expectations, with the youngster tipped to start in Nigeria’s next group-stage clash against Saudi Arabia.
Currently, Kamaldeen is developing at the Kwara Football Academy, but there is an air of inevitability surrounding a future move to Europe, with Chelsea now keen.
According to the Sun, Chelsea’s scouts are currently in Chile to track several youngsters playing above their age group at the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup. One of the players the club are keeping tabs on is Nigeria’s Kamaldeen, who is now high on their priority list, having impressed in his short cameo in the competition.
The report adds that the West London club became aware of the 16-year-old during the WAFU B Zone B tournament in Ghana, where he scored against Benin and was instrumental in the Flying Eagles’ run to the final.
Prospect
Having drawn comparisons to his compatriot and current Fulham star Alex Iwobi, there’s growing optimism that the youngster has the potential to develop into a similar level as one of Nigeria’s greats, Jay Jay Okocha, according to the report.
Chelsea have built quite a strong following across Africa, thanks to their use of African players over the past decade. From the legendary Didier Drogba to Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou, several stars played key roles in helping the club achieve major honours.
Some Nigerians have also worn the Chelsea shirt — from 2000 FA Cup winner Celestine Babayaro to Champions League winner John Obi Mikel in 2012 and Premier League champion Victor Moses in 2016/17, as well as Ola Aina and Kenneth Omeruo.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Blues boast one of the biggest fan bases in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. That support is only likely to grow even further if the club completes a move for Kamaldeen, who has been the darling of Nigerian football this year.
