Premier League rivals West Ham United and Chelsea are both said to have sent scouts to watch teenage talent Tarek Najia in action this week
Tarek Najia looks like he is a man in demand.
According to The Mirror (24 August, page 69), London rivals West Ham United and Chelsea are both going head-to-head in an attempt to sign the talented teenage goalkeeper for their academy squads before the end of the month.
Najia is currently playing for Dagenham and Redbridge and earning rave reviews after bursting onto the scene. He made his debut against Horn Church on Tuesday with scouts from West Ham and Chelsea both in attendance in Dagenham’s 4-2 friendly defeat at Bridge Avenue.
And despite conceding four times between the sticks, it seems that Najia did more than enough to catch the eye of two Premier League giants.
Chelsea boast by far the most prestigious academy in English football right now with the Blues’ reserves dominating the domestic game at youth level. On the flipside, however, it is well documented that the vast majority of Chelsea’s most promising talents never get a chance to prove themselves in the first team.
West Ham, meanwhile, have a long-standing reputation for producing the stars of tomorrow, although there has been a lack of academy graduates emerging in the first team of late.
Domingos Quina (below) left to join Watford this month while Reece Oxford, who was tipped for stardom after making his debut at just 16, is expected to depart on loan.
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