Chelsea set to battle 4 Premier League clubs for 16-year-old English wonderkid: Reports
Chelsea are reportedly set to battle with other Premier League clubs to sign Reading prodigy Andre Garcia. The 16-year-old defender has attracted the attention of several clubs following his brilliant performances for the League One club.
Garcia has established himself as a first-team regular at Reading, having been promoted to the senior team in the summer. He made his professional debut as a substitute in August against Birmingham City in League One.
Despite failing to register a goal contribution for the Royals in the ongoing season, Garcia’s brilliant performances have not gone unnoticed, as he is being courted by those with deeper pockets.
According to TBR Football, Chelsea and a host of other Premier League giants are scouting Andre Garcia on a regular basis ahead of a potential move. The other EPL clubs that are monitoring the player include Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace.
Despite signing a plethora of players in the summer transfer window, Chelsea are continually linked to different players around Europe, particularly youngsters. It will be interesting to see where Andre Garcia will end up.
The Blues are one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. Moving to a club like Chelsea will obviously be an upgrade for the player, who could be a long-term replacement for the injury-prone Ben Chilwell.
Apart from the Premier League teams, Andre Garcia is also said to be attracting interest from other clubs in Europe. Clubs like Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, and Atalanta are reportedly among his admirers.
Chelsea target Andre Garcia is tipped to have an ‘incredible future’
Amid interest in the player from different clubs, former Reading player and manager Mick Gooding gave positive reviews about the player. The Reading legend told BBC Radio Berkshire (via TBR Football):
“To be 16 and playing the way he is playing is incredible. What a future he has got, and it’s in his hands if he listens and works hard. He has got pace, great feet. You can see he is really enjoying what he is doing, not fazed by it.
“He has got an incredible future, should he decide that it is what he wants to do. [Garcia must] work hard, stay humble and do the right things. He can go wherever he wants.”
Andre Garcia is a product of Reading academy. He primarily plays as a left-back but has also been used as a right-winger. He has featured in 14 matches for Reading across competitions in the ongoing season.