England pushing to beat Nigeria to two Chelsea whizkids after missing out on Lookman

Published: February 10, 2022

The English Football Association have made a move to beat their Nigerian counterparts to the services of two very talented teenagers on the books of Chelsea, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

Versatile wing-back Somto Boniface, who has been offered a scholarship deal by the European champions ahead of next season, and intelligent left-footed attacker Tudor Mendel-Idowu received call-ups to the Young Lions squad for two matches against Scotland this week.

England are using the two friendlies as part of their preparations for the elite round of the 2022 U17 Euro qualifiers, where they are drawn in Group 5 along with Luxembourg, Russia and France.

If Tudor Mendel-Idowu and Boniface feature in any of the competitive matches, they would be provisionally cap-tied to the English Football Association.

The two players have been involved in England camps below the U17 age group but games at U15 and U16 levels are non-binding.

Mendel-Idowu bagged a brace for England U17s in their first game against Scotland on Tuesday afternoon and Boniface was named in the starting lineup.

Meanwhile, the English FA have missed out on 2017 U20 World Cup winner with the Young Lions, Ademola Lookman after FIFA approved his nationality switch to Nigeria from England, according to AP's global sports correspondent Rob Harris.

Lookman changing his association paves the way for the winger to be called up for next month's crucial 2022 World Cup playoff matches with regional rivals Ghana after he was omitted from the 2021 AFCON squad because the paperwork was not completed.

The RB Leipzig loanee was born in London to Nigerian parents and was therefore eligible to represent either Nigeria or England before pledging his international future at senior level to the Super Eagles.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : lcfc.com

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