Chelsea could reportedly be on the verge of losing academy gem Charlie Webster due to his refusal to sign several contract offers.
According to the Evening Standard, the 18-year-old hasn’t been keen to commit his allegiance to the Blues.
Webster is a regular for the Under-23 team, having worked his way up through the many age groups.
But despite his ever-presence for the development sides, and earning the experience to train with the first team, his future is not settled at Cobham.
Why would Webster want to leave Chelsea?
Perhaps the numerous shifts at Stamford Bridge recently have clouded the teenager’s judgement.
Thomas Tuchel’s sacking may have hit Webster where it hurts, especially as it was the German who allowed him to rub shoulders with the senior squad.
“Tuchel is a brilliant coach and I love his attention to detail. He made me understand that small details matter in every game,” said the midfielder last season.
Whilst Graham Potter is not averse to using the younger generation, he has already stated he will not just use youth ‘for the sake of it.’
This might be a message that has trickled down from above.
Boehly with the big bucks
Todd Boehly has already proved his willingness to spend the extra pounds on improving Chelsea.
Rather than encouraging development from within, he funded the signings of numerous high-profile stars over the summer.
The arrivals of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella among others are surely just the beginning of Boehly’s vast expenditure.
A number of lucrative stars have been linked with the Blues recently, an ominous sign for the likes of Webster trying to climb up the Chelsea ladder.
Can he really be blamed for wanting out, when so many are coming in? We don’t think so.