:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/41850790/452691388.0.jpg)
It's a slow news day today, so I suppose I have a few minutes to mention a report out of France indicating that Chelsea have agreed to have a goalkeeper join their youth ranks once he turns 16 years old. That youngster in question is a 13-year old currently playing for FC Poitiers. Here's what the report had to say:
La course aux plus grands espoirs du football européen est lancée. Chelsea a ainsi fait signer un jeune gardien français seulement âgé de 13 ans ! Nicolas Tié, licencié au FC Poitiers, vient de s'engager avec les Blues, qu'il rejoindra en 2017, année de ses 16 ans.
Chelsea a devancé la concurrence d'Arsenal et de Manchester City, qui courtisaient eux aussi le jeune gardien qui mesure déjà 1m85.
Ils les prendront bientôt au berceau...
Basically, Maxifoot is saying that the club have agreed to have Nicolas Tie come join them at Cobham once he turns 16 years old in 2017. According to the report, Arsenal and Manchester City both had interest as well, but the player has chosen the Blues. He's also really tall for a 13-year old, apparently.
It's not likely that the club will actually comment on this at all, and it's even less likely that anyone will get to see the kid play before he's reportedly joining in just under three years, but it's still kind of fun to see that the club is already looking to bolster the youth ranks going forward. The truly crazy among you can start penciling him into future lineups, and planning where to sell Thibaut Courtois 10 years down the line. The sane can just take note and remember this report three years from now when he first suits up for the U18 side.