5 Chelsea young players who could impress Mauricio Pochettino during the club's pre-season tour in the USA
Chelsea have reached the United States of America (USA) for this summer pre-season tour as part of their preparation for the 2023-24 season. The Blues kicked off the tour with a 5-0 drubbing of League Two side Wrexham FC yesterday.
They will also face Brighton & Hove Albion (22 July), Newcastle United (26 July), and Fulham (30 July) in a Premier League Summer series while in the States. Mauricio Pochettino's side will then wrap up their pre-season activities with a game against German side Borussia Dortmund in Chicago on 2 August.
As seen on the club's website, 29 players have been named in the squad that traveled to North Carolina for the Wrexham fixture. The list comprises senior players, academy players as well as returning players.
The tour will provide new coach Mauricio Pochettino more chances to assess his squad and put them in shape for the new season. It is also an opportunity for some young players in the squad to show their quality by impressing the manager and earning his trust.
Despite the large squad at Pochettino's disposal, the Argentine manager might be persuaded to give some of the youngsters a place in his team if they impress him. This article will take a look at five Chelsea youngsters who could use the pre-season to secure a place in the squad.
#5 Gabriel Slonina
Gabriel Slonina was one of Chelsea's signings from last summer. He was bought from Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire but was sent back on loan to the club to see off the MLS season.
Slonina has shown promising talent throughout his career and will be hoping to catch Pochettino's attention during the pre-season. He holds the record as the youngest goalkeeper to start a match in MLS history at 17 years and 81 days. He is also the youngest goalkeeper to keep a shutout in the history of the American top-flight.
Slonina has kept 16 shutouts in 43 league games for Chicago Fire. The American shot-stopper also showed his qualities at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he kept four consecutive shutouts, leading his team to the quarterfinals.
There is a vacant spot in the goalkeeping department at Chelsea following Eduoard Mendy's exit from Stamford Bridge this summer. The pre-season presents him an opportunity to grab that spot for himself.
#4 Ian Maatsen
Ian Maatseen is one of the academy graduates who has gotten off to a brilliant start scoring two goals against Wrexham. The Netherlands U21 international also enjoyed a successful 2022-23 campaign on loan at Burnley.
He played a huge role for the Clarets, helping them win the Championship thereby earning promotion to the Premier League. Maatsen featured in 39 games for Burnley, scoring four goals and providing six assists in the process.
His impressive performance in what can be termed a breakthrough season saw him being named in the Championship team of the season as the best left-back. The 21-year-old is quick and helps the team in the final third. This quality makes him operate more as a left wing-back, utilizing his diverse skills to assist the team both defensively and offensively.
#3 Andrey Santos
Andrey Santos was also one of the club's signings in the winter transfer window. Like Slonina, he was loaned back to his boyhood club (Vasco da Gama) to play out the remainder of the season.
Santos is one of the highly-rated prospects from the South American continent currently. He is a central midfielder who is capable of playing as a box-to-box midfielder.
The young Brazilian midfielder helped Vasco da Gama gain promotion to the Brazilian top flight in the 2021-22 season, registering eight goals in 33 Serie B games. He also captained the Brazil under-20 to win the 2023 South American championship and was named best player of the tournament after scoring six goals and creating an assist.
The 19-year-old also led his national team at the 2023 U20 World Cup before they crashed out in the quarterfinals. He scored two goals and created an assist in the tournament.
Chelsea are currently bereft of personnel in the central midfield position, with only Conor Gallagher and Carney Chukwuemeka as their only natural central midfielders. For a central midfielder who has a keen eye for goals, he just might make a claim for first-team football at Stamford Bridge next season.
#2 Cesare Casadei
Cesare Casadei is another exciting young talent at Chelsea who will be hoping to impress Pochettino during the club's USA tour. Signed last summer from Inter Milan, the 20-year-old spent the second half of last term on loan at Championship club Reading.
He scored a goal in 15 appearances for the Royals. However, the club eventually got relegated to the third division. Nonetheless, Casadei is one of the most promising talents of his generation.
He is a well-rounded, ambidextrous, and versatile midfielder who is physically and technically gifted. The 20-year-old can feature anywhere in the midfield and also has a knack for scoring goals.
At the recently held FIFA U-20 World Cup, Casadei won both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot awards. He scored seven goals and created two assists as Italy finished as runners-up in the competition.
The Italian is one player who should have a shot with the first team next season. The shortage of central midfielders in the team could also play in his favour. Hopefully, he does enough in training and on the pitch during pre-season to earn the coach's trust.
#1 Lewis Hall
Lewis Hall enjoyed some game time with the first team last season. He made nine Premier League appearances for Chelsea last term and also featured once each in the FA Cup and League Cup.
However, the 18-year-old will have to prove to the new manager that he can build on his experiences from the previous season. He was named 'Chelsea Academy Player of the Year' for 2023, a feat that further proves his talent.
Hall is a versatile player who can offer a range of options to Pochettino's side. He can operate as a left-back, a left midfielder, and a defensive midfielder. He has been explored in various positions while playing for Chelsea's youth side.