Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are reportedly among the clubs keeping an eye out on the development of Chippenham Town starlet Oluwasegun Lawal.
According to a report from All Nigeria Soccer, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are among a flurry of clubs monitoring the progress of 19-year-old versatile forward Oluwasegun Lawal, who plies his trade for National League side Chippenham Town.
Lawal started at Irish club Drogheda United before making the jump to Chippenham Town. The 19-year-old, whose younger brother Bosun plays for Scottish giants Celtic, has been impressing with the club’s academy team, which led to him making his first-team debut this past weekend.
Indeed, Lawal made his first senior appearance for Chippenham Town this past Saturday, coming on as a substitute for Callum Gunner in the second half against Braintree Town, even as his side were held to a 1-1 draw. The report claims that the teenage attacker’s performances with the academy team and his first-team bow have attracted admiring glances from several top British clubs.
Among those teams are Premier League title contenders, Liverpool, the cash-rich Newcastle United, and a rejuvenating Crystal Palace side.
Liverpool are one of a number of clubs keeping tabs on Chippenham Town striker Oluwasegun Lawal.
The 19-year-old made his debut in the sixth tier of English football against Braintree on Saturday. [@Editor_ANS] pic.twitter.com/xrcj6f1Dxt
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) November 2, 2021
Liverpool have shown a great affinity towards signing and developing young talents at their academy, as seen with their recruitment of Harvey Elliott and, more recently, Kaide Gordon, among others. The Reds are also in the hunt for the signing of Manchester City prodigy James McAtee, with Lawal also now emerging on their radars as they look to bolster their youth ranks.
As for Newcastle United, they have been linked with the who’s who of Europe following their mega-million take over by the Saudi-based PIF consortium. However, at the same time, the Tyneside outfit seem intent on building a solid base for the future with the addition of talented youngsters such as Santiago Munoz, who arrived at the club in the summer, with Lawal now popping up as a target.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have shifted towards building a youth-centric team under new manager Patrick Vieira, as indicated by their recruitment of talents like Odsonne Edouard, Michael Olise, Marc Guehi, among others. More young players are being identified as transfer targets by the Eagles, with Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson on the club’s wishlist, while Lawal has also come out as an option.
Apart from the three teams mentioned above, Leicester City and Watford are also interested in Lawal and Scottish giants Rangers. As things stand, all these clubs are just keeping tabs on the development of the 19-year-old, who can play anywhere in the final third. There is no mention of an imminent move from any interested parties, and it remains to be seen if that changes anytime soon.
