Who is Kiano Dyer? Chelsea's latest Cobham wonderkid

Cameron Smith

• 9 Feb 2024 16:55 GMT
• 5 min read

Chelsea’s Cobham academy has produced some of England’s finest talents over the best few years, with its reputation among the very best in world football.

Reece James, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Tino Livramento are just a handful of stars to have developed within the Blues’ youth system, while Barcelona star Andreas Christensen even spent the final years of his academy days at Cobham.

There is yet another crop of talented youngsters emerging at Chelsea now, with several beginning to appear in first-team matchday squads.

Leo Castledine is one such name and his fellow midfielder Kiano Dyer could be the next. The teenager joined Chelsea from West Brom’s academy at the end of his U14 season and he begun training with the Blues first-team in December 2023 at just 17 years old.

But, who is Dyer and why might he be the next big thing to emerge from Chelsea’s prestigious academy.

What position does Kiano Dyer play?

Dyer is a central midfielder, who typically operates in a number eight role.

How good is Kiano Dyer?

Dyer has been a regular in Chelsea’s U21 side over the past few months, despite the fact he was just 16 years old when he made his debut for the team.

In fact, he has asserted such dominance in the Blues’ U21s that he is now one of the first names on the team sheet, even though he is up to three years younger than some of his team-mates.

Dyer also featured in Chelsea's U19 UEFA Youth League side during the 2022-23 season, with the likes of Lewis Hall and Charlie Webster.

Furthermore, he was first spotted training with the first-team during the September international break, aged 16, although there were very limited senior players in those sessions as most were in action for their national team.

However, Dyer is now training with Mauricio Pochettino’s side in its full complement, proving the huge level of talent he possesses.

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Dyer spoke to the official Chelsea website and stated his strengths: “I would say my dribbling, passing and screening. Screening I talk about the most because someone my size has to be clever about the way I approach much bigger opponents.

“I do really like a tackle as well because I think it is a tone-setter for me and sometimes the team.”

The English wonderkid, who has regularly featured for the Three Lions’ youth teams, is a direct midfielder who always looks to play forward and with pace, while his ability in possession is excellent.

The fact he is training with the first-team at just 17 years old says a lot, especially considering the midfield talent already at Pochettino’s disposal includes Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and many others.

It may be fairly difficult for Dyer to force his way into Chelsea’s senior team for several years, but he has the talent to become one of England’s very best midfielders.

What clubs are interested in Kiano Dyer?

So far, no interested parties have expressed their desire to sign Dyer as he only signed his first professional deal with Chelsea in November 2023.

However, EFL clubs may begin circling regarding a loan move, while a permanent exit could be an option in the future if Dyer doesn’t feel there is a progression to the Chelsea first-team.

How old is Kiano Dyer?

Dyer was born on 21 November 2006. He is 17 years old at the time of writing.

When does Kiano Dyer’s contract expire?

Dyer’s current Chelsea contract runs until 30 June 2026.

What is Kiano Dyer’s Instagram?

Dyer’s Instagram account is @kiano_dyer. He has 8.5k followers as of January 2024.