Manchester City in talks to land soon to be out of contract Chelsea starlet

Manchester City have opened talks with Chelsea academy striker Jude Soonsup-Bell

According to the Evening Standard, Manchester City have opened talks with Chelsea academy striker Jude Soonsup-Bell, whose contract expires at the end of this season.

The 18-year-old is a promising young talent who has made one senior appearance for the Blues. But, with the contract expiring and no agreement on an extension yet, he could leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.

City are one of the biggest rivals of Chelsea at the academy level, so this signing could bolster the Manchester-based club and their youth team.

Many English and European clubs are interested in swooping in for Soonsup-Bell, who arrived at Chelsea as a U-13 from Swindon Town. He made his senior debut against Brentford in the Carabao Cup last season.

Chiefly operating as a centre-forward, the 18-year-old England U-19 can play on either wing or as a support striker in a 4-4-2 formation. In 76 appearances for various Chelsea youth sides and competitions, he has scored 28 goals and assisted seven.

Soonsup-Bell is a talented player who has good potential going forward. Letting him go to one of the direct rivals may not be a good idea, especially considering how good the City academy has been to develop players in the last few years – Phil Foden being one example.

The Chelsea academy itself is one of the best organisations for developing young players into top-tier footballers. They would be right in keeping hold of the 18-year-old beyond this season.

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The Blues can further nurture this talent in the next 12-18 months and test him out in the first team. If he progresses well, they would have a forward option available for the future. If not, the club is one of the best sellers of their top young talents. All in all, letting him leave for free doesn’t sound like an ideal option from a fan’s viewpoint.