Juventus leading race for Chelsea’s Samuel Iling-Junior — report

Chelsea’s youth-centric philosophy under Frank Lampard is proving to be quite an enticement for young players around the globe — players are even willing leave La Masia to come to La Cobham these days! — but with the quality and quantity of squad depth that the Blues have, some will always be on the lookout for less congested pathways to a senior career in football.

According to Goal, Samuel Iling-Junior could be one such academy star. The 16-year-old had already garnered interest from the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich, Ajax, Schalke back in February, and now, Juventus have apparently entered the fray as well. In fact, they’re apparently all other suitors in the race for the youngster’s signature.

Chelsea of course have a professional contract on the table, which he will be eligible to sign on his 17th birthday in October. But in the meantime, he could be swayed by all this other interest, and judging by the frequency of these stories, his representatives aren’t shying away from that possibility either.

Still, such stories are dime a dozen for any promising youngster. The decision is in his hands. Let’s hope he choose the right one, for both himself and the club.