Earlier in the summer Chelsea were reported to have agreed to sign youngster Gael Etock away from Barcelona and then immediately send him out on loan to Sporting Lisbon. Almost two months passed without any further mention of Etock, but that seems to be about to end. A Bola (who is usually very reliable) is reporting that Etock will indeed be joining Lisbon, but unlike previous reports he's stating that it will be on a permanent basis. To this point there has been no mention of Etock on either the Chelsea of Lisbon websites, but if he's reportedly joining up with Sporting's U19's I'd guess that will change in the very near future.
While I'd be slightly disappointed if we didn't land Etock, I can't say it would break my heart. We've already landed 18 year old striker Romelu Lukaku, and we also have 50% ownership of uber-talented 18 year old Rafael Pernao (and will likely complete that deal shortly). Combined with the presence of Daniel Sturridge, losing out on Etock wouldn't be too devastating for our future strike force. It's always good to have options though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the original reports will end up being accurate. We'll make sure to keep you informed as soon as we hear more on this. All in all, it's been a very confusing two days worth of news and rumors.