Chelsea are reportedly set to face competition from Atletico Madrid in the race to sign teenage prospect Mohamed-Ali Cho from Ligue 1 side SCO Angers.
According to a Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea have been joined by reigning La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in pursuit of 17-year-old SCO Angers striker Mohamed-Ali Cho.
The teenage prospect started at the US Chantilly academy before moving to PSG’s youth setup in 2011, where he spent four years. Mohamed-Ali Cho then had a four-year stint in England with the Everton youth team before returning to France in January last year, signing for Angers.
Having linked up with the club’s Under-19 setup, Cho found himself being fast-tracked into the senior team. To date, the 17-year-old prospect has featured 36 times for the Ligue 1 outfit and has scored two goals. While that return might not set the pulses racing, the Frenchman is held in the highest of regards in his country.
Despite being just 17 years of age, Cho was recently handed his debut for the French Under-21 national team, indicating how highly he is rated. His potential has not gone unnoticed either, with some elite clubs across Europe taking note of the youngster, with Chelsea and Atletico Madrid among them.
Chelsea have been scouting Cho for some time now, having been impressed by his pedigree at such a young age. The Blues have always had the reputation of swooping for young and talented individuals before loaning them out for a few seasons and then flipping them for a profit. However, that is no more the trend, with youngsters from the academy getting a fair shot at senior football at Stamford Bridge.
The likes of Mason Mount, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Billy Gilmour and more recently, Trevoh Chalobah have all become household names after coming through the ranks at Chelsea. And, if signed, Cho too could follow a similar trajectory into the first-team at the west London outfit.
However, Chelsea will have to face competition from Atletico Madrid in pursuit of the teenager. While Diego Simeone’s team are not exactly known to blood in youngsters, they have been making efforts to change that perception with the acquisitions of Joao Felix, Matheus Cunha, Marcos Paulo, among others.
Furthermore, with the frontline likely to need bolstering in the near future due to the advanced ages of Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann, someone like Cho could be an option worth looking at with an eye on the future. Cho, who is valued at €10 million, is also being monitored by AC Milan. So, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this battle for the Angers’ starlet.