Romano bomb! Chelsea eye 15-year-old Ghanaian wonderkid compared to Michael Essien

Tom Weber

• Updated: 25 Oct 2023 21:23 BST
• 4 min read

Chelsea are interested in 15-year-old wonderkid Fatawu Ganiwu, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The youngster has caught the attention of several European big hitters with his outstanding performances for Ghana's youth national teams. Despite only playing domestically in the third division with Sportive Avranches - a development club in the Greater Accra area - the youngster has been earning rave reviews.

After some eye-catching showings for Ghana's U16s at a UEFA tournament in Serbia in the spring, GhanaWeb described the central midfielder as possessing "the calmness of Sergio Busquets on the ball and the aggression of Michael Essien in winning the ball." High praise indeed, being compared to a legend of Ghanaian football like Essien.

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The midfielder made north of 160 appearances for Chelsea during an almost decade-long stint at Stamford Bridge. And now, his former team are reportedly keen on his young compatriot.

Ganiwu a wanted man boy

According to Fabrizio Romano, Ganiwu is on his way to Europe to trial with several continental heavyweights. First on his list of stops are Champions League side and last season's Ligue 1 runners-up RC Lens, claims the transfer expert.

The Italian revealed that Bayern, Salzburg and Chelsea are also among the clubs monitoring the midfielder. The latter have become notorious for snapping up some of the world's brightest young talent under Todd Boehly.

READ: Chelsea and Man City to pounce on wonderkid Barcelona could be FORCED to sell

If a move to Stamford Bridge were to materialise, Ganiwu would be the latest in a long list of teenagers signed by the Blues that includes 16-year-old Ecuadorian sensation Kendry Paez and 17-year-old Jamaican striker Dujuan Richards, to name but two.

Ganiwu has signed with UK-based agency FA Sports with a view to making his move to Europe. FAS is headed by Louis Bell, an associate of former Blues player Ryan Bertrand, who is currently in Ghana to form a closer partnership between the British firm and the domestic Koppan Sports Agency, which previously represented Ganiwu.

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