Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and Queens Park Rangers are all keen on Chelsea youngster Ishe Samuels-Smith, who is expected to leave on loan this summer.
The 19-year-old started out with Everton before moving to Chelsea in 2023 in a £4m deal, and he is the latest highly rated player to emerge from the academy in recent years.
However, Samuels-Smith is understandably way down the pecking order right now, so a loan is seen as the next step in his development.
Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and QPR keen on Ishe Samuels-Smith
And it appears interest is already growing in the player, as TEAMtalk has revealed that Sunderland, Boro, and QPR are keen on bringing him in.
The report adds that Samuels-Smith’s versatility is seen as a real positive to those clubs, as the teenager is capable of playing as a left-back or a center-back.
| 2024-25 Championship table | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leeds United (C) | 46 | 65 | 100 |
| 2 | Burnley (P) | 46 | 53 | 100 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 46 | 27 | 90 |
| 4 | Sunderland (P) | 46 | 14 | 76 |
| 5 | Coventry City | 46 | 6 | 69 |
| 6 | Bristol City | 46 | 4 | 68 |
| 7 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 5 | 66 |
| 8 | Millwall | 46 | -2 | 66 |
It’s also said that Chelsea will prioritize game time for their player, so that may give Boro and QPR an edge over Sunderland, as you would imagine he is more likely to start week in, week out for a Championship side.
Ishe Samuels-Smith could be a shrewd summer signing
It’s obviously difficult to judge a player who has yet to make his mark in the professional game, but Samuels-Smith is clearly very talented at the youth level.
You only have to see the fee that Chelsea paid for Samuels-Smith to see that they think he has enormous potential, and he has impressed for the Blues in their academy, as well as for England in different age categories.
The next step is to play competitive football, and you would think that the Championship is the logical move.
While Sunderland’s Premier League status will appeal, it’s unlikely he will go straight into the XI of Regis Le Bris’ side as they battle to stay up. But if they can offer first-team football, then they are obviously more appealing than Boro and QPR.
Realistically, though, you would expect the championship duo to be able to provide more minutes, so it would be no surprise if he ends up at either club.
We have seen the importance of the loan market regularly over the years, so it makes sense that QPR and Boro are trying to benefit from that going into the window. It’s about building relationships with clubs and demonstrating why you are the best club for these talented youngsters to develop.
So, it will be interesting to see how it plays out and which clubs make a formal move to sign Samuels-Smith.
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