Chelsea will reportedly pursue 18-year-old Senegalese defensive sensation Mikayil Faye from NK Kustosija Zagreb.
According to a report by Daily Mail, Mikayil Faye is the subject of interest from Chelsea. The 18-year-old Senegalese defensive sensation is the latest wonderkid to emerge on the West London club’s radar. But the Blues face stiff competition from several other high-profile teams for the teenage prodigy.
Mikayil Faye spent most of his formative years in his homeland, representing Diambars FC most recently. A product of the Diambars academy, the teenage whizkid is a centre-back and can also play as a left-back. And his progress in Senegal alerted several well-known European clubs before he joined NK Kustosija Zagreb.
Marseille and Reims showed interest in the 18-year-old Senegalese defensive sensation. Faye also trained with Dinamo Zagreb before moving to NK Kustosija. And the youngster’s decision has paid off, as he has been a regular for their first team, turning out 13 times. And the player’s progress has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs.
Chelsea’s image of never handing out long ropes to academy products impacted them for several years. But the Blues have continued to produce prodigious prospects year after year. And they have particularly concentrated on signing youngsters since Todd Boehly and his consortium took over the club.
Chelsea signed Cesare Casadei, Omari Hutchinson, and Carney Chukwuemeka, among others, last summer. And they remain in the market for opportunities to sign more prodigies. Recent reports have linked Chelsea with Romeo Lavia. But while Lavia will bolster the first-team, the Blues are keen on signing players who will reinforce the reserve and youth sides.
They have thus shown interest in several youngsters, including Ethan Nwaneri. And Mikayil Faye has also emerged as a viable target for the West London club. While the 18-year-old Senegalese defensive sensation will likely slot in the Chelsea under-21 side, he can make the grade in the first team if he makes swift progress.
Thiago Silva is in the twilight of his career and will leave Chelsea in a year or two. And Faye will have the opportunity to fill the Brazilian defender’s void when he departs from Stamford Bridge. But several other high-profile clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, are also interested in the 18-year-old. And it will be interesting to see if Chelsea can secure his services.
