Umar Ibrahim, who is 6ft 2in tall, currently plays for Ojodu City in Lagos state and previously had a trial at Bodo/Glimt in Norway
By Kehinde Okeowo
Chelsea forward, Raheem Sterling, is said to be playing a major role in securing the services of young Nigerian striker, Hafiz Umar Ibrahim for the Blues.
According to Evening Standard, the former Manchester City winger in February placed a video call to the Nigerian while helping him to secure a trial at the Stamford Bridge.
The 18-year-old has attracted interest from several top European clubs, after scoring 10 goals in six games at the Viareggio Cup.
Umar Ibrahim, a 6ft 2in target man, plays for Ojodu City in Lagos state and previously had a trial at Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
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The teenager will now start a two-week trial at Chelsea, so Mauricio Pochettino can take a closer look.
If Ibrahim earns himself a contract after the trial, he is expected to join Chelsea’s partner club Strasbourg in France to gain more experience.
Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment and talent, Joe Shields, also played a key role in bringing Ibrahim to West London with the Blues now increasingly targeting African academies for talent.
Meanwhile, Nigeria journalist, Lolade Adewuyi, recently confirmed reports that Chelsea is trying to sign Umar Ibrahim.
According to him, the Blues brought him to London for a two-week trial, which began on Monday, March 25.
Speaking via his X handle, he tweeted: “Alert: Ojodu FC’s Hafız Umar Ibrahim has arrived in London and will be at Chelsea from Monday for two weeks before signing a contract with the Blues.
“In February, Chelsea had Raheem Sterling jump on a video call with the young Nigerian striker to convince him.”
In another post Adewuyi added: “Could Hafiz Umar Ibrahim be heading to Chelsea instead of Bodo/Glimt? I hear that the offer is miles ahead of what the Norwegian champions have offered even though Ibrahim is already in Norway for trials.”
