'Transfer imminent' - Chelsea eye 17-year-old Mexican wonderkid

Nazario Assad

14 Nov 2023 15:23 GMT
3 min read

Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea — © ProShots

The U17 World Cup is currently taking place in Indonesia and one of the great prospects at the tournament is Mexican youngster Fidel Barajas, who is already on the radar of the European elite.

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Despite a stormy start to the tournament with a 3-1 defeat against Germany, Mexico boast plenty of interesting players who will be able to showcase their talents in Indonesia, among them Barajas.

According to information from the Jóvenes Futbolistas MX outlet, the 17-year-old is closely followed by Chelsea, Atlético Madrid and PSV. In fact, it is said that a transfer is 'imminent' off the back of an impressive 2023.

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Barajas integral in unlikely title charge

The attacker currently belongs to the Charleston Battery of the USL Championship, the second tier of soccer in the United States. One of the most storied teams in lower-league football in the country, the Battery had been mired in mid-table obscurity in recent years.

But the form of Barajas and the arrival of head coach Ben Pirmann turned their fortunes around in 2023. The young Mexican contributed with five goals and 11 assists as the Battery finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and then went on an unexpected run to the Championship final.

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However, with Barajas in Indonesia for the World Cup, the Charleston side couldn't overcome Didier Drogba's former club Phoenix Rising and were ultimately defeated at home on penalties.

Over the course of the season, Barajas, a tricky winger who has a knack for scoring spectacular goals, established himself as arguably the most exciting talent in the league - despite a 13-year-old being handed a professional debut by Barajas' former youth club Sacramento at one point - and it's unsurprising that he is attracting European interest.

Indeed, off the back of his breakout campaign, the expectation in the Mexican media is that he will depart for greener pastures in 2024, with his contract expiring at the end of the month now that the USL season is officially over.