Posted by Midfielder Ogenyi Onazi of the Super Eagles has spoken up about his near-signing with Chelsea when he was just starting out in the pros.
After making a strong impression for Nigeria in the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup, where he finished second, Onazi was offered a trial with Chelsea.
The Premier League giants were interested in signing him, but he was too immature to do so.
In 2011, Onazi signed with Lazio, a club in Serie A, and played for the club’s youth teams before being promoted to the first team.
I was on the verge of signing with Chelsea when I was younger, but we were both too young to play.
Waiting till we were eighteen was necessary. Lots of steps were involved.
My boss made the decision to go to Italy at that time for that exact reason. So, according to Onazi, he could start for Lazio’s reserve squad and work his way up to the first squad as he matured, as reported by Sports Arena.