Chelsea have reportedly raided EFL Championship club Bristol City for the signing of 14-year-old prodigy Shaun Wade.
According to a report from Bristol Live, Chelsea have snapped up the signing of teenage winger Shaun Wade from EFL Championship outfit Bristol City this summer.
Wade is just 14 years of age and is held in high regard at Bristol City. The young winger, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, started out at the academy of Mangotsfield Juniors Football Club before signing for the West Country outfit at the Under-8 level.
Rated very highly throughout his burgeoning youth career, Wade has now moved to the west London outfit. Earlier this week, the 14-year-old visited the Blues’ top-notch Cobham training facility to pen a deal and complete the paperwork for the transfer.
The report adds that Chelsea and Bristol City have agreed a lucrative deal over a deal for the teenage starlet, with the paperwork being finalised before an official announcement is made. The 14-year-old Wade, however, has confirmed the transfer, posting an image on his social media account.
“You could tell he was a great talent right from when he was five,” Mangotsfield Juniors Football Club chairman Colin Sutton told Bristol Live of the teenage prospect. “The ball was just stuck to his foot. It’s incredible for him. He’s such a quiet unassuming lad when it comes to his football. He’s knuckled down and done brilliant,” he added, indicating that the teenager is full of potential.
As per the report, Wade will be joining up with Chelsea’s Under-15 setup, with the team of Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante producing shirts with Wade’s name on at the introductory welcome offered to the youngster and his family on Thursday when he was at Cobham to complete the signing.
Chelsea have one of the best academies in the land and have constantly churned out talented young players. While in the past, a pathway to the first-team was not entirely forthcoming, things have changed in recent years. The likes of Mason Mount, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and more recently, Trevoh Chalobah have all made a mark in the senior team.
And, Wade, who will be playing with the Under-15s, will be hoping to follow a similar path in the years to come.