Transfer News: Promising 22-year-old Cobham graduate leaves Chelsea for League One

Chelsea youngster Tariq Uwakwe departs for League One side Crewe Alexandra

Taking to their Twitter account, League One club Crewe Alexandra have confirmed that they have snapped up midfielder Tariq Uwakwe from Chelsea. This news comes in just days before the January transfer window comes to a close, with clubs hurrying to wrap up potential deals before Monday night.

This permanent transfer brings to an end Uwakwe’s remarkable 14 year journey as a Chelsea player, having initially joined Cobham as an Under-9, and working up the ranks in an attempt to turn out for the senior squad of his parent club. Unfortunately, he could not cut it at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s academy is famed for developing some of the country’s brightest and most talented players, and Crewe Alexandra certainly seems to have snapped up an exciting young prospect as they look to climb up the League One table and escape relegation. While he might not have reached his potential with us, we hope the 22-year-old finds better fortune at Mornflake Stadium.

Uwakwe spent the first half of the season on loan at Accrington Stanley, where he impressed on debut, scoring a hat-trick in the EFL Cup. The youngster will now head back to League One once again for the second half of the campaign, but this time, turning out for Alexandria on a permanent basis.

Yet another Cobham departure

With his new club battling relegation, there is sure to be high expectations on the 22-year-old’s shoulders to show the same form he did with his previous stint at Accrington, scoring goals and making an instant impact so the club stays in the third tier of the English football pyramid for yet another season.

The midfielder already has enough experience dealing with the level and pace of football in League One and will not need much time to settle into life at his new club and hit the ground running. The player’s experience and talent have seen him turn up for England in the youth levels, and the Cheshire based club is sure to be happy with their business this month in securing the youngster’s services.

In what is turning out to be a similar story at Chelsea, yet another youth academy product has departed the club, heading out to the lower leagues to gain more game time and establish themselves in the senior squad. The club recently saw Tariq Lamptey and Tino Livramento also leave west London for the same reasons, and the duo appear to be thriving at their new home elsewhere.

Although most other Cobham products leave for other top-flight clubs, it was interesting to see Uwakwe depart for a League One side, especially that of a club struggling to stay up in the third tier of English football. We can only hope that the Englishman establishes himself in the team and uses his talents to keep the club afloat in the division.

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This trend of young players leaving the club may be worrisome, with the club needing to do more to pave the way for more talented academy products to play for the first team. Our club seems to be focusing on signing top-quality players for huge price tags, instead of promoting from within. Although the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount have done well to work their way into the senior squad, we should be expecting more stars to come through Cobham.

Hopefully, letting Uwakwe leave the club does not come back to bite us in the back a few years on, and the talented midfielder continues to show everyone in League One what the Chelsea academy’s products are all about, shedding more light on the great work done at Cobham.