Report: Chelsea open talks to sign 16-year-old Nigerian midfielder

Soccer

Soccer Report: Chelsea open talks to sign 16-year-old Nigerian midfielder

Abduljelil Kamaldeen

English Premier League side Chelsea have begun talks to sign Flying Eagles midfielder Abduljelil Kamaldeen, Soccernet.ng reports. 

Discussions are now underway between the English club and Kamaldeen’s representatives.

Per Footy-Africa, the 16-year-old recently impressed during a trial period, which has prompted Chelsea to show concrete interest in securing his signature.

The Blues are understood to have followed up with an official approach as they explore a possible deal for the highly rated youngster.

Soccer Flying Eagles' Abduljelil Kamaldeen
Flying Eagles’ Abduljelil Kamaldeen

Talks over a potential transfer are ongoing, with Kwara Football Academy (KFA) hopeful of reaching an agreement with the Premier League side.

Soccer Chelsea submit offer after a trial success

According to sources close to the negotiations, Kamaldeen’s performances during his assessment with Chelsea convinced the club to formalise their interest. An offer has now been submitted as discussions continue over the structure of the move.

Soccer Chelsea target Abduljelil Kamaldeen
Abduljelil Kamaldeen. Photo by FIFA coms

Given the player’s age, the proposed arrangement is expected to focus on his long-term development rather than an immediate professional contract, in line with regulations governing the international transfer of minors.

Soccer KFA previously dismissed Anderlecht’s claims

The latest development follows earlier reports linking Kamaldeen with Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht, claims that were firmly denied by Kwara Football Academy to Soccernet.ng.

Soccer Abduljelil Kamaldeen
Abduljelil Kamaldeen

At the time, a KFA official confirmed that the midfielder remained in Nigeria and revealed that Chelsea were already in talks with his representatives. Other clubs, including West Ham United and Royal Antwerp, were also credited with interest.

KFA have maintained that any move for Kamaldeen will prioritise both his education and football development as negotiations with Chelsea continue.

Ayomide Oguntimehin” src=”https://media.soccernet.ng/main/2024/12/Ayomide-Oguntimehin-pics-150×150.jpg”  height=”80″ width=”80″></p><div><h3>
<a href=
Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.

Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin

Read MoreAyomide Oguntimehin

Latest

Nestory Irankunda scores Australia’s first World Cup goal against Turkiye

Nestory Irankunda buried Australia’s opening goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 14, finishing a counter-attack in the 27th minute against Turkiye in Vancouver. At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in Socceroos history to score at a World Cup. The goal gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their Group D

Carlo Ancelotti takes responsibility for Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco as crypto fan tokens enter the World Cup spotlight

Brazil opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on June 13, and Carlo Ancelotti accepted full responsibility for the tactical shortcomings that left the five-time champions splitting points in their Group C opener. Ancelotti promised improvement and reminded everyone that you don’t win a World Cup in your first

Scotland defeats Haiti 1-0 in World Cup opener, tops Group C

Scotland picked up their first World Cup victory in 28 years on June 13, beating Haiti 1-0 in their Group C opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. John McGinn scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide saved an initial effort from

Pyth Network Targets Bloomberg’s $50 Billion Market-Data Empire

Pyth Network is pushing deeper into the more than $50 billion market for financial data, launching 24/7 index products across metals, oil, and U.S. equities as it positions its onchain price feeds against incumbents like Bloomberg. Key Takeaways Pyth Network launched 24/7 indices for metals, oil, and U.S. equities, adopted by Coinbase and Kraken. Euronext

Newsletter

Don't miss

Nestory Irankunda scores Australia’s first World Cup goal against Turkiye

Nestory Irankunda buried Australia’s opening goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 14, finishing a counter-attack in the 27th minute against Turkiye in Vancouver. At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in Socceroos history to score at a World Cup. The goal gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their Group D

Carlo Ancelotti takes responsibility for Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco as crypto fan tokens enter the World Cup spotlight

Brazil opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on June 13, and Carlo Ancelotti accepted full responsibility for the tactical shortcomings that left the five-time champions splitting points in their Group C opener. Ancelotti promised improvement and reminded everyone that you don’t win a World Cup in your first

Scotland defeats Haiti 1-0 in World Cup opener, tops Group C

Scotland picked up their first World Cup victory in 28 years on June 13, beating Haiti 1-0 in their Group C opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. John McGinn scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide saved an initial effort from

Pyth Network Targets Bloomberg’s $50 Billion Market-Data Empire

Pyth Network is pushing deeper into the more than $50 billion market for financial data, launching 24/7 index products across metals, oil, and U.S. equities as it positions its onchain price feeds against incumbents like Bloomberg. Key Takeaways Pyth Network launched 24/7 indices for metals, oil, and U.S. equities, adopted by Coinbase and Kraken. Euronext

Macron and Trump test their bruised bromance at G7 summit

For help please visit help.ft.com. We apologise for any inconvenience. The following information can help our support team to resolve this issue. Reason Challenge Request ID a0ba469e68afe135 Status Code 403

Your business texts could look like scam messages from July 1 if you don’t act now

From July 1, any branded SMS your business sends without a registered sender ID will be labelled “Unverified” and grouped with scam messages.  What’s happening: From 1 July 2026, any business or organisation that sends SMS using a branded name, such as “MyShop” or “AcmeServices”, instead of a phone number, must have that sender ID

Business groups are fighting Labor’s CGT changes. Here is where SMEs stand

Labor’s most contested tax reform in a generation cleared its first formal hurdle on Thursday and immediately ran into organised resistance. Treasurer Jim Chalmers introduced the government’s tax reform legislation to the House of Representatives on 28 May, bundling together four budget measures: the capital gains tax overhaul, new limits on negative gearing, a $250

Meet the most influential business owners from Southwest Nigeria

This article spotlights the most influential business owners from Southwest Nigeria, adjudged by their dominance in their respective sectors of the economy where they operate. The post Meet the most influential business owners from Southwest Nigeria appeared first on Nairametrics...