Not part of the project: Chelsea will not be signing Nigerian striker Ibrahim Hafiz Umar 

Allnigeriasoccer.com can exclusively report with certainty that Premier League giants Chelsea have passed up the opportunity to sign talented Nigerian striker Ibrahim Hafiz Umar.

Umar was given a chance to prove his worth during trials in March 2024 but the Blues have decided not to offer a contract to the Ojodu City Academy starlet as the signing of the player does not align with the club's recruitment strategy.

While Chelsea has invested heavily in their first team under new owner Todd Boehly, their strategy towards young players since the takeover might be even more intriguing.

Chelsea's Vision 2030 project involves identifying and acquiring some of the best young talents in the game, and sending them on loan to develop at other clubs if they cannot crack the first team. 

The Blues have brought in three young stars of Nigerian descent Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke from Aston Villa, Rennes and PSV respectively. 

Umar caught the attention of Chelsea  after making a splash at the Viareggio Cup, where he won the top scorer award with ten goals in six matches. 

Before heading to Chelsea, the 2005-born player was on trial with one of the rising forces of Scandinavian football, Bodo/Glimt but the Norwegian side did not offer him a deal, stressing that he was not the type of player they were in the market for. 

Following the tests, Bodo/Glimt concluded that Umar was a better fit for the attacking midfield or number 10 role, instead of playing as a traditional center forward.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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