Nigerian defender-turned striker offered pre-scholarship deal at Chelsea, two years after Tottenham release

 Allnigeriasoccer.com has been told that promising Nigerian striker Chizzy Ezenwata has been offered a pre-scholarship deal at Premier League giants Chelsea.

Ezenwata turned down a new contract at Charlton Athletic before his move to Chelsea on schoolboy terms in August 2023 following a successful trial, in which he registered six goals and three assists in the six weeks he spent at the Blues.

The promising teenager was scouted by West Ham United at the age of four and moved to their Development Centre but was still registered fully with his Sunday League team. 

By the time Ezenwata  was seven, he had been scouted by almost all the top London clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Crystal Palace before Tottenham Hotspur came into the scene late on through one of their talent spotters, who invited Ezenwata and his dad to take a look a their facilities. 

Chizzy and his father were blown away with the set up they had and he eventually settled at Tottenham. Although he started playing for Spurs as an U8, he couldn't sign schoolboy forms until he was an U9.

Just after the pandemic, in 2021, Ezenwata Senior received an email from Tottenham, stating that his son could not be kept on any longer by the club and was released. 

At Tottenham , Chizzy was deployed in several defensive positions including fullback and centre-back.

He ended up signing for Charlton Athletic for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons.

In the two seasons he was at Charlton Athletic, he transformed from being a defender, where Tottenham used to play him, to a striker and scored more than 100 goals while registering over 40 assists in all competitions.

A lot of clubs were now interested and reached out to his minders but the suitors had to see off competition from Charlton Athletic who offered him an early scholarship and the option of a three-year professional contract after that.

However, Chizzy was aspiring for a bigger team after his release by Tottenham Hotspur and also wanted to test himself against Category 1 opposition.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United were among the clubs that considered signing him before Chelsea won the race for his signature. 

Chizzy is an U15 but plays mostly for Chelsea U16s because he was signed as a center forward for the U16s.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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