Enzo Maresca has already shown path for Chelsea wonderkid as summer transfer decision made

The future looks bright for Ishe Samuels-Smith.

It has been some April thus far for the 18-year-old academy product. Opening the scoring just 40 seconds into Chelsea Under-21s' 4-1 victory over Aston Villa on April 4 - at Stamford Bridge, no less - was quite the start to the month. Samuels-Smith's highlight, no doubt, will have been on April 15 when it was announced the highly-rated teenager committed his future to the Blues by signing a new long-term contract until the summer of 2031.

Yet to make his senior debut for the club after being brought in over the summer of 2023 from Everton, but there is extremely high hopes about the player he can become in the future. Sources have told football.london that Samuels-Smith signed the contract extension at Stamford Bridge very much with the intention of being part of the first team next season.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

The young defender can consider himself extremely unfortunate he is yet to make an appearance in the senior side this season when many of his academy teammates have. Samuels-Smith was initially part of Chelsea's Conference League squad, football.london understands, but has since been removed as he does not qualify as homegrown because he has not been with the club for two years yet.

While Samuels-Smith has made the matchday squad for two matches this season - the FA Cup defeat to Brighton in February and the Premier League win over Southampton later in the month - the teenage talent is still waiting on his first team debut for the Blues. That could very well come next season, with Samuels-Smith providing cover at left-back to with the futures of and uncertain as it stands.

Chelsea head coach has handed out a total of seven debuts to academy stars this season with all players aged 19 or younger at the time. The likes of Shim Mheuka, Harrison Murray-Campbell, Sam Rak-Sakyi, Ato Ampah, Genesis Antwi and Kiano Dyer have all been used by Maresca in some form this term, while Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George were promoted to the first team permanently earlier in the campaign and have flourished ever since.

after the defender's performance away in Legia Warsaw, while George has scored twice in his last three appearances for the Blues in all competitions - including his first Premier League goal in the late victory against Fulham at the weekend. So, there is a clear pathway to first team football at Stamford Bridge despite how much the club have spent on incomings since and took over almost three years ago.

For Samuels-Smith, that is the crucial factor - the paramount reason he chose to commit his future to Chelsea. Cobham has produced some outstanding talents throughout the years - and is continuing to do so - and Samuels-Smith could be the next in line to leave his mark on the first team at Stamford Bridge.