Chelsea are finally beginning to find their stride after a challenging year of form, as Mauricio Pochettino continues to explore the pathways to success at Stamford Bridge.

While the Argentine is on the road to clearing things up in the first team, an abundance of talent is simmering away beneath the service, as the Blues’ academy continues to produce some fine talent behind the scenes.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss has got his side firing, with Chelsea almost reaching half of their goal tally from the entire 2022/23 Premier League campaign with 17 scored so far, however one name in the academy has netted more than anyone in the first team this term.

Ronnie Stutter’s career so far

Back in 2019, the Blues captured the signature of U14’s forward Ronnie Stutter from West Ham United to bolster the talent rising on the scene at Cobham.

Since his arrival, the striker has progressed through the ranks in the academy, with his goal-scoring strengths becoming more and more apparent year after year.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the teen contributed to 13 goals in 16 appearances in the U18’s Premier League, scoring nine and assisting four to assert his dominance within the league.

At the end of that season, Stutter suffered recurring injuries, tainting his 2022/23 calendar, in which he secured only eight appearances in the U18 Premier League.

What’s most defiant about the forward is that he has returned from injury explosively, scoring five and assisting two in those eight appearances that term.

Ronnie Stutter’s statistics this season

Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, the 18-year-old was promoted to the U21’s side, making the step up to feature in the Premier League 2 division that is littered with high-profile prospects from some of the best academies in England.

Stutter scored on his U21s debut, seeing his start to the season lauded as “wonderful” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

In eight appearances so far, the forward has scored six goals in the Premier League 2, as well as getting on the score sheet once in the EFL Cup to reinforce his reliability in the final third.

Taking his total of seven goals in 2023/24 so far into account, Stutter has more goals than any of the players in Poch’s ranks, with Nicolas Jackson leading the first-team pack with six goals in all competitions.

Goals

6

4

3

2

Considering the incomprehensible amount of money that Chelsea have spent over the past year during their rebuild, the Blues could find their search for a striker concluded by glancing at their academy.

Reece James and Conor Gallagher both surfaced from the academy settings at Stamford Bridge, proving that some of the best in the squad can be harvested at home rather than poached from the market.

There is plenty of time left for Pochettino to unearth the talents of the teenage sensation, with his progression something to follow closely as the season develops.