Chelsea are in talks to sign a talented young wonderkid with a link to one of their biggest rivals.
According to reports, the Blues are in discussions over a deal to sign Mathis Eboue from Watford.
The 15-year-old is the son of Arsenal cult hero Emmanuel Eboue, meaning that a move to west London would see him join the club of one of his dad’s fiercest rivals.
The Daily Mail claim Chelsea are in discussions with Watford as they look to strike a deal over a compensation fee.
An attacker by trade, Eboue has been playing above his age group for the Hornets, even representing the club at under-21 level despite being just 15.
Born during his father’s spell at Arsenal, Eboue Jr is also an England under-16 international and scored the winner in a 1-0 win over France as the Young Lions won the U16 Challenge Trophy title.
The move to Chelsea will be subject to the Premier League’s five-step process which applies to all movements where compensation is payable.
The process is designed as deterrent to prevent clubs from breaching Youth Development Rules.
This includes an independent third party being appointed to conduct exit interviews with the player’s parents, as well as both clubs.
This is to identify any breaches in the deal, including tapping up.
Eboue will be keen to follow in the footsteps of his father, Emmanuel, who made his name with Arsenal.
After moving to Belgium with Beveren, Eboue joined the Gunners in 2004 and spent seven years in north London, making 214 appearances for the club.
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He then spent four years with Galatasaray before ending his career with a brief spell with Sunderland.
In 2017 Eboue confirmed he was homeless after a series of bad investments and divorce from his wife and mother of his three children.
The former defender also opened up on his battle with mental health in a tragic fall from the ex-Premier League star, who described how he’d lost his house and financial assets to his ex-wife and was sleeping on the floor of a friend’s house to avoid bailiffs.
Upon hearing of his plight, Galatasaray offered him a coaching role with their academy and he returned to the Turkish club to help get his life back on track.
Now with his son set for a big move, he will hope to enjoy his rise to the English top flight.