Barcelona will not sign 18-year-old former Chelsea wonderkid Tudor Mendel-Idowu, with Anderlecht on the verge of landing him.
According to reputed Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Tudor Mendel-Idowu will soon embark on a new adventure after leaving Chelsea as a free agent. Barcelona and Anderlecht have been vying for the teenage sensation. But the 18-year-old wonderkid has chosen Belgium as his next destination.
Tudor Mendel-Idowu has only known about Chelsea during his formative years thus far. The teenage whizkid, a native of Slough, joined the West London club’s youth division in 2012. And he has come leaps and bounds in the last decade, rising through the ranks at Chelsea.
The 18-year-old wonderkid has represented Chelsea until the under-18 level. Meanwhile, he has turned out for England under-17, scoring three goals in four outings. As for Mendel-Idowu’s club future, he left Chelsea as a free agent this month. And the situation has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona and Anderlecht.
The youngster emerged on Barcelona’s radar during his final days as a Chelsea player. And recent reports claimed the Catalan giants were closing in on securing Tudor-Mendel’s services. It is hardly surprising that Mendel-Idowu is a target for Barcelona, considering the club’s forays into the youth market.
#UPDATE
🟣🏴 C’est 🆗 pour Tudor Mendel Idowu! L’ailier droit anglais – qui devrait s’entraîner avec les A mais sera également mis à la disposition des #RSCA Futures – a signifié au Sporting d’#Anderlecht son choix de rejoindre les Mauves au lieu du Barça B.
✍🏼 Comme expliqué… https://t.co/9i94Mezxnf pic.twitter.com/nHPHfAL6sD— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) July 24, 2023
The reigning La Liga champions have already formalised the signing of Vitor Roque. But Barcelona will not stop at the Brazilian’s arrival, with Matheus Goncalves recently emerging as a target. And Tudor Mendel-Idowu also featured prominently on Barcelona’s wishlist as they looked to bolster Barcelona Atletic.
But the Catalan giants are losing the race to sign the 18-year-old wonderkid. Instead, the young prospect will join Anderlecht after sealing his departure from Chelsea. And the update by Sacha Tavolieri suggests the opportunity to play for the first team turned the player’s head towards Anderlecht.
The teenage sensation would not have received as many chances to represent the Barcelona first team as he will at Anderlecht. And it will be interesting to see who the defending La Liga champions turn to as they look to reinforce their squads.
