CHELSEA have given spots to teen keeper Lucas Bergstrom and youth team product Lewis Baker in their official Premier League squad.
Finish prospect Bergstrom, 19, and English midfielder Baker, 26, have shirt numbers 32 and and 36 respectively in the official 25-strong list sent into the league following the closure of the transfer window.
Baker, who started in the youth ranks at Luton Town before moving to the Blues when he was nine-years-old, is one of the minimum eight ‘homegrown’ players each top flight club is required to include in their squads.
He made 17 appearances for England Under-21s but is yet to make his mark at Chelsea following loan spells at a number of a clubs including Leeds, Reading and most recently Turkish side Trabzonspor.
His most successful loan ended in 2017 after he spent two years with Belgian side Vitesse, bagging 20 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances.
Bergstrom was touted as one of the hottest prospects in Europe when he arrived at Stamford Bridge on scholarship deal in July 2019.
The 6ft 7in shot-stopper has represented Finland’s Under-16s and has impressed in Andy Myers’ development side at Chelsea.
Bergstrom has not made made a first-team appearance for Chelsea and Baker just one, and they face an uphill challenge to dislodge a number of world-class stars at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal.
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In recent times Chelsea have often sent promising young players out on loans and been richly rewarded for their development, as was the case with Mason Mount at Derby and Reece James at Wigan.
But Bergstrom will take his place at the Prem title-chasers as an understudy to internationals Edouard Mendy, 29, and Kepa Arrizabalaga, 26.
The homegrown rule means every club must have eight players of any nationality who are 21 or older in January 2022 and have spent three years between the ages of 16-21 attached to an English club.
Midfielders Mount, Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, along with the Blues’ £97.5million summer recruit Romelu Lukaku, who re-joined from Inter Milan, are some of the ten stars who satisfy that homegrown criteria.
There was also a big clear out at the Blues over the summer with 20 players either being sold or loaned as Tuchel set about shaping a squad which will bid to improve on last season’s fourth-placed Prem finish.
The Champions League champions will look to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign when they go Aston Villa on Saturday following the international break.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
