Chelsea take Wrexham wonderkid Davies on trial in bid to boost youth team

Nizaar Kinsella

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Chelsea take Wrexham wonderkid Davies on trial in bid to boost youth team image

Chelsea have taken Wrexham's 16-year-old left-back Daniel Davies on a week-long trial amid a six-month-long aim to fill a gap in their academy.

This summer's youth exodus has left Chelsea searching for players from non-league teams, with several being considered or signed in recent weeks.

Davies has had trial offers from Liverpool, Brighton and Stoke City, with more clubs likely to come to the table - but the Blues are currently at the front of the queue. There would be no compensation due should Chelsea go ahead and offer him a contract.

Who is Davies?

He recently made his debut for Wales' Under-18 team in a 1-1 draw with England and is being heavily scouted by Premier League and Championship clubs.

Due to his imposing physique, Davies has found himself compared to a young Gareth Bale, who began life as a left-back before moving further forward.

Davies is at National League club Wrexham, who are owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Why do Chelsea keep looking at left-sided players?

The Blues lost wonderkid Samuel Iling-Junior 18 months ago and have had a lack of left-sided talent for the current generation that are playing U23s, UEFA Youth League and U18s football.

It has led to them signing Declan Frith after he spent time in non-league with both Welling and Sutton United, but the west London club released him and he joined Aston Villa.

Afterwards, Chelsea offered Kingstonian £50,000 for Bryant Akono Bilongo but withdrew the bid after changing their minds.

Davies is the latest talent from below the top four leagues to try and get in the building at Cobham, with academy director Neil Bath keen to fill a long-term vacancy on the left.

It could see him follow in the footsteps of new signings Jayden Wareham and Bradley Ryan from non-league sides Woking and Welling United in recent months.

Further reading

Nizaar Kinsella

Nizaar Kinsella Photo

Nizaar Kinsella is a Chelsea correspondent with experience covering international football at the World Cup and European Championships. He is a trusted voice within the Chelsea community, attending almost every game and having spent many years doing so. Coverage on Goal.com has seen him invited onto CNN, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport and BeINSports to comment on the turbulent world of the Stamford Bridge club. He previously worked for the Daily Mirror and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as a period working in the UK charity sector.