Chelsea poised to fast-track the elevation of Emenalo's teenage son into the first team

CHELSEA head coach Mauricio Pochetinno is planning to fast-track the integration of Michael Emenalo's teenage son Landon into the senior team as Stamford Bridge having been impressed with the young man's prodigious talent.

Landon Emenalo, 16, is the son of former Nigerian left-back, Michael Emenalo, who has 14 Super Eagles caps and featured for Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup. Michael Emenalo retired in 2006 and became an integral part of Chelsea’s success, first as an assistant manager before becoming the club’s technical director in 2011.

His tenure as technical director witnessed the success of the club in the transfer window and scouting department, with Emenalo heavily involved in the signing of the likes of David Luiz, Eden Hazard, Mohammed Salah, Cesc Fabregas and Thibaut Courtois. Emenalo moved on to Monaco in 2017 and then to the Saudi Pro League at the start of the 2023/24 season after he was appointed as the director of football for the league.

Landon, who unlike his defender father plays as a midfielder, is said to be highly thought of within Chelsea's Cobham academy. This has prompted the Chelsea bosses to try and give him a push in his development by getting him to train with the first team following his 16th birthday last week.

Described as a versatile left-footer, Emenalo has featured in various roles across central midfield, having played as a holding midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder and as a number 10. Landon, who was born in London and has featured for the US and England youth teams, is eligible to play for the Super Eagles in the future.