Former Chelsea defender David Lee believes the club’s impending transfer ban will benefit young players looking to break into the first team, pinpointing three starlets in particular.
Chelsea are unable to sign senior players until 2020 following an investigation into the signing of foreign under-18 players and to make matters worse, Eden Hazard looks set to complete a move to Real Madrid this summer.
Lee thinks the club will have no choice but to cash-in on Hazard during the transfer window though, to avoid the risk of losing the Belgian for free, and give youth stars a chance to shine.
He told Ian Stone’s Comedy Breakfast, as cited by Love Sport Radio:
I watched [Tammy Abraham] a lot at Swansea and he wasn’t brilliant but he’s had another season at Villa and scored a lot of goals. There are a few others like Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori at Derby who have had good seasons but it depends on [manager Maurizio] Sarri and whether he wants to blood them or whether he is just going to go with the experienced players instead.
The Blues have often been criticised for their failure to promote youth from the academy and instead opt for an abnormal amount of loans.
A two-year transfer ban could prove to be a blessing in disguise though, with now a better chance than ever to make a change and utilise the promising talent at the club.
