Inside Chelsea’s pre-season tour squad as Xabi Alonso selects five academy starlets to travel Down Under

XABI ALONSO has had a chance to get a good look at the young players pushing to make their mark in the first team. With a number of senior stars away at the World Cup and now on holiday, the new Blues boss has had plenty of kids in his early sessions at Cobham. Xabi Alonso is without a number of senior players for Chelsea’s pre-season tour Credit: Getty Reggie Walsh is one of five youngsters who could impress in their absence Credit: Getty And now a group of them have joined the Spaniard and his squad on their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. SunSport runs you through a few of the top prospects who are making the long journey Down Under… Sign up for the Chelsea newsletter Thank you! Olutayo Subuloye, 18, Defender This promising central defender was named as Chelsea‘s scholar of the year last season. Subuloye has been taking tips from Chelsea’s legendary former skipper, John Terry, during his visits to the Cobham training ground as a consultant for the academy sides. After joining the club from Brighton as an Under-12, a first professional contract was signed in 2024, before fresh terms were agreed with the England Under-18 international in January this year. Reggie Walsh, 17, Midfielder A box-to-box midfielder who was making European appearances before having to go back to school the next day. Walsh was given his Chelsea debut by Enzo Maresca in the Conference League semi-final last year, becoming Chelsea’s youngest ever player in Europe and the third youngest to represent the club in any competition. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Chelsea ticket and hospitality deals GET tickets to see Chelsea home games at Stamford Bridge with these official deals. The packages include optional upgrades to VIP hospitality. ⚽ 30 Aug v Brighton — BOOK HERE ⚽ 12 Sep v Hull — BOOK HERE ⚽ 10 Oct v Bournemouth — BOOK HERE ⚽ 24 Oct v Spurs — BOOK HERE ⚽ 31 Oct v Man United — BOOK HERE More games available here. *If you click on a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue. He took that to another level last season by becoming the youngest ever Chelsea player in the Champions League, coming on against Ajax. The youngster has been with the club since the Under-8 year group Landon Emenalo, 18, Midfielder Landon Emenalo has already pleased this pre-season Credit: Getty Emenalo is the only academy talent to have started both of the behind-closed-doors friendlies Xabi Alonso has overseen before heading off on tour. The midfielder, who can also play at left-back if needed, is the son of former Blues technical director Michael Emenalo and is viewed as one of the top prospects at Cobham. Born in America, he has represented both the United States and England at youth level. Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, 17, Winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen was in the Premier League squad last season Credit: Getty Signed at the age of seven ahead of a number of London rivals, Kavuma-McQueen has developed a taste for scoring spectacular goals at youth level. When given the chance to train with the first team, he has impressed skipper Reece James and talisman Cole Palmer, who has watched clips of his goals. Calum McFarlane named the youngster in Premier League squads to face Liverpool and Tottenham at the end of last season off the back of 13 goals in all competitions for the academy last term. Reggie Watson, 16, Midfielder – Son of Ben, set piece master and impressed at KDB Cup last summer Reggie Watson is a set-piece specialist Credit: Alamy Another son of a famous face in the Chelsea academy, to go with Emenalo and the recently departed Jesse Derry. The midfielder is the son of Wigan FA Cup winner Ben and has represented England at Under-16 level. Like Derry, Watson was signed from London rivals Crystal Palace when he was an Under-15 and took part in the Kevin de Bruyne Cup last season, where he thoroughly impressed. Watson has developed a reputation as somewhat of a set-piece specialist, recently netting a stoppage-time winner against Greece for England. Remind you of anyone? Comment now