Chelsea in advanced talks to sign son of Arsenal cult hero
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Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Watford starlet Mathis Eboue, the son of former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue.
The Blues have placed a greater emphasis on capturing young talent from the English market in recent years and Eboue is the latest name to emerge on the club’s radar.
Aged just 15, Eboue, has been turning out for higher age groups at Watford, including the Hornets’ Under-21 side, and his performances have put top teams in the Premier League on alert.
Eboue has also caught the eye on the international stage and scored the winning goal in England’s recent victory over France to secure last month’s Under-16 Challenge Trophy in Spain.
According to the Mail Online, talks between Chelsea and Watford are rumbling on over a suitable compensation fee for promising attacker who was born in 2009.
It’s claimed the teenager’s switch to Stamford Bridge will only be done once authorities are satisfied that the move aligns with the Premier League’s five-step process, which prevents clubs from breaching youth development rules.
The report adds that the investigation could take as long as three weeks.
The west London giants are familiar with the process having captured young prospects Zak Sturge and Shim Mheuka from the academy of Premier League rivals Brighton.
Brighton were unsatisfied with Chelsea’s proposals in both cases, meaning tribunals were necessary – which saw the Blues pay out £900,000 – rising to £3.4million – for Sturge and £1m – rising to £4.25m for Mheuka.
The size of the fee that Watford are demanding for Eboue remains uncertain at this stage in discussions.
Eboue’s father, Emmanuel, is well known to fans of the Premier League having played over 200 games for Arsenal between 2004 and 2011.
The right-back was part of Arsene Wenger’s side that lost to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final and twice picked up a runners-up medal in the League Cup.
The Ivorian went on to join Sunderland – following a four-year spell with Galatasaray – but failed to make a single appearance for the Black Cats after being slapped with a one-year ban for failing to pay a former agent.
Since retiring from the game, Eboue has been open about his ongoing struggles with depression, hoping his story helps others battling similar mental health issues.
‘Sometimes I would lock myself in my room for three or four days. Just thinking and asking “What’s left?”,’ the ex-Arsenal and Ivory Coast defender told French outlet RMC Sport in 2019.
‘Even today, I still take antidepressants to help me because it is still a long road for me. But here I am hoping others would learn from this.’
