RESULT! Teen Ethan in at Bridge
CHELSEA have won the race for highly rated Exeter teenager Ethan Ampadu.
The defender, 16, has signed a deal with the Premier League champions after deciding to leave Exeter.
The Grecians will not receive a transfer fee as Ampadu had yet to sign scholarship forms, but are entitled to compensation for their academy product.
Ampadu became Exeter’s youngest debutant in last season’s EFL Cup game against Brentford and went on to make 13 first-team appearances.
Exeter manager Paul Tisdale said on his club’s website: “Everyone at Exeter City fully supports Ethan’s decision to sign for Chelsea.
“He had many options available to him and has decided that Chelsea provides him with the best opportunity to develop the next step of his career.” KOP legend Craig Johnston has identified Brazilian bombshell Philippe Coutinho as the key to Liverpool launching a major bid for the title next season.
Johnston was impressed with Liverpool’s progress in the last campaign under boss Jurgen Klopp and believes Coutinho can play a major part in helping to bring the title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990.
Coutinho will return to training ready to make his fifth full season the best yet – and Johnston can’t wait.
He said: “Philippe is an absolute jewel in the crown. Not only does he have the clever bits, the genius, but he has a running mentality – he keeps running and he keeps running.
“There’s nothing wrong with any of his make-up.
“He’s as good as it gets in a football package because of his mentality as well.”
The glowing verdict on the gifted Denmark international, 25, comes from his compatriot and ex- Manchester United defender John Sivebaek.
And the good news for all Spurs fans worried Eriksen may need to head off to La Liga to fulfil his world-class potential is that Sivebaek (below) reckons he should stay put at White Hart Lane – for now.
Spanish g i a nts Barcelona have been heavily linked with a £50million summer swoop for the ex-Ajax p l a y m a k e r, while Real Madrid are also reportedly in the running for his signature.
But although Eriksen recently suggested the lure of the Nou Camp is hard for any player to ignore, Sivebaek is urging him to stick with Mauricio Pochettino’s Premier League outfit and challenge for the title again next season.
The Dane, who won the 1992 European Championship five years after moving on from Old Trafford, said: “Christian is very close to being one of the best midfielders in Europe – if not the world.
“He can do that in the next t wo or t hree years i f he continues to progress the way he has done in the past few years.
“It could be at Tottenham, or it could be elsewhere.
“If he moves to Barcelona or Real Madrid – one of the really big-money clubs – he can go on to be one of the greats.
“I can understand the pull of a bigger club, especially the money – that is always very important.
“But I think he is in the right place at the moment. He is playing well every week.
“He is at a very good club in Tottenham and has some good team-mates and a great manager.”
Eriksen was pivotal i n Spurs finishing second last season, scoring eight times and managing 15 assists in the club’s best league campaign in more than half a century. That was enough to help him beat England striker Harry Kane to the Player of the Year award at White Hart Lane. Yet Sivebaek, who was capped 87 times by Denmark in a 10-year international career, feels Eriksen would be receiving even greater recognition if he made himself the centre of attention more often.
He would like to see the unassuming playmaker enjoy hogging t he spotlight by demonstrating a stronger personality.
The former Old Trafford full-back, 55, added: “He’s not the kind of guy who wants headlines.
“He is certainly close to being a really top player but sometimes you think he could do a bit more.
“I’d just like to see more emotion and f or him to celebrate more.
“The way he celebrates is low-key – but then people are very different.”