Chelsea ‘battling’ Man Utd and Real Madrid for breakout winger after ‘six-month scouting mission’

Chelsea are said to be eyeing a bright young talent from across the pond.

The Blues have been big spenders over the last 18 months, splashing around £1billion since Todd Boehly’s arrival. Chelsea have signed big throughout Boehly’s reign so far, though it has not yet translated to success on the pitch, with Mauricio Pochettino getting off to a rocky start to the season, winning just twice in the Premier League.

Whether Chelsea will sign more players in January remains to be seen, but Pochettino has already made it clear he wants a striker.

Though, while Chelsea have signed big, they have also signed young, hoping to build squad that can be kept in place for years to come. And there is one player who may well fit that bill and then some.

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are interested in MLS starlet Julian Hall, who recently became the second youngest player to feature in the league. The 15-year-old has been scouted by the Blues for around six months, according to the report, with Hall scoring against the Blues in the Under-15s Generation adidas Cup match in April.

It’s claimed Chelsea have been trying to get Hall to make the move to Stamford Bridge, offering a trial over recent times, but he recently signed a new contract with current club New York Red Bulls. Hall is a USA youth international, but he is also eligible to represent Poland.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all said to be interested in the winger, while NYRB are said to be very reluctant to lose him. The Red Bull ownership means the youngster could get his move to Europe in the form of spells with RB Salzburg or RB Leipzig. Meanwhile, Chelsea are hoping to establish a strong current of young talent that eventually runs through the first team, but it’s always tough wrestling away talents from other clubs, and especially well-backed clubs like NYRB.