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The Chelsea academy has produced world-class players like Michael Olise and Declan Rice, even if they have broken through at other clubs. Chelsea would want to avoid a similar scenario with Reggie Walsh. The 17-year-old midfielder is the most promising player at the Cobham academy, and manager Enzo Maresca is already full of praise for Walsh.
“He makes everything look so easy,” Maresca said after the 5-1 win over Ajax in October, where Walsh celebrated his debut, becoming the youngest Chelsea player in the history of the Champions League. “I like Reggie, because he is doing things I demand from other players without me having to ask for it,” Maresca said. “I don’t have to ask him to do something. What he is doing is what I demand from that sort of player.” A few days later, he signed his first professional contract.
Walsh made his debut for Chelsea in May 2025 at 16, 6 months, and 11 days, when he was brought on in the Conference League semifinal against Djurgården IF. Since 1967, no Chelsea player has been younger on his debut. One week later, in the return leg, he made his starting XI debut. This season, he featured in the Champions League and the EFL Cup; otherwise, he played for the U21 and U18 teams. In 10 games for the U21, he scored one goal, and in five games for the U18, he scored four goals. He also featured for all England youth international teams, starting with the U15, and since September has been playing for the U18.
Chelsea insider compares Walsh mit Pedri
The Englishman is a midfielder who can play all three central midfield positions. With the likes of Moisés Caicedo, Roméo Lavia, and Dário Essugo in defensive midfield, Enzo Fernández and Andrey Santos in central midfield, and Cole Palmer and Facundo Buonanotte in attacking midfield, Chelsea have significant depth in those areas. Aside from his good technique, Walsh also can play with both feet.
Transfermarkt Chelsea insider Joe Krishan compares Walsh with one of the best players in midfield. "His bursts through the middle are reminiscent of Pedri, with close control and decent pace. But his vision and weight of the pass, both of which are remarkably precise, are the most outstanding attributes,” Krishan said. It's also challenging to know which foot is his strongest because the 17-year-old looks equally comfortable using both.” Krishan also pointed out that Walsh is only 176cm tall and needs to work on being more physically robust in his game.
“Walsh is a technically gifted playmaker who prefers to start from deep areas and carry the ball up the pitch, with vast reserves of energy to help him scurry around the pitch,” Krishan said.
Does Walsh have first-team potential at Chelsea?
The current Chelsea squad includes six academy players, including captain Reece James. That’s the second most among all Premier League clubs. By spending significant money on external players, Chelsea have lost a number of their academy players, including Rice, Olise, and Marc Guéhi. In general, Chelsea aren’t a club known for giving players time to develop. Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne were under contract at Chelsea but became top stars at other Premier League clubs.
For Krishan, the decisive factor on whether Walsh will make it at Chelsea will be Maresca. "Of all the Cobham academy graduates to be blooded by Enzo Maresca, Walsh has the best chance of succeeding at Chelsea - and that's because the Italian recognises his talent,” Krishan said. “The teenager is the youngest player to ever represent Chelsea in a European game after coming off the bench against Djurgårdens in the UEFA Conference League - and it wasn't just a token gesture. With more first-team opportunities, Walsh is well-placed to follow the likes of Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong in becoming a regular first-team member in the coming years."
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2008 and 2009. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
