New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has started highly rated youngster Olutayo Subuloye in the pre-season game with Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday (July 28) at Accor Stadium, Sydney.
Suboloye, 18, is a verstaile player, who was key to the Blues’ success in the Under-17 Premier League Cup, as per the club’s website. Starting out as a midfielder, he transitioned to centre-back.
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During the 2023-24 Under-16 Premier League campaign, Suboloye was key and also captained the Blues in the National Cup final. The next season, the teenager featured for England U-18 and also became a consistent name in the Blues’ U-19 side, scoring his first goal in youth football in a 6-2 victory over Aston Villa at Cobham.
Having signed a contract with the Blues at the end of 2024, Olutayo Subuloye continued his rise by captaining Hassan Sulaiman’ U-18 team in the 2025-26 season. He scored his first league goal of the season in a 6-1 victory over Aston Villa and also made his UEFA Youth League debut for the U-19s.
A contract extension signed in January this year will keep the lanky defender at Stamford Bridge till 2030, having captained the Blues’ U-18 team in the Premier League National Final, where they beat Manchester City 2-1.
“It’s been really positive” – Chelsea’s Olutayo Subuloye ahead of last season’s UEFA Youth League campaign
Chelsea youngster Olutayo Subuloye was excited to lead his side in last season’s UEFA Youth League, where the club reached the Round of 16, losing 1-0 to Real Madrid.
Having begun their campaign with a 5-0 victory over Qarabag, the Blues drew 1-1 with Barcelona before winning 3-1 at Atalanta. A shootout win over PSV Eindhoven after a 1-1 draw put them into the Round of 16, where they came up short against Los Blancos.
‘I think it’s been really positive,” Suboloye had said before the campaign (as per the club’s website). “For the Under-18s I’ve been wearing the armband, which has been a big honour.
“Wearing the armband gives me that extra bit of responsibility and it shows that the coaches trust me to lead the group. I’ve always tried to set an example on and off the pitch, but being captain makes you think even more about how you can support the boys and keep standards high.
Olutayo Subuloye is now set to make his first start for Chelsea’s senior team, albeit in a friendly, as the Xabi Alonso era gets underway at Stamford Bridge.
Edited by Bhargav