Chelsea Football Club has reportedly banned scouts from Manchester United and Liverpool from attending its youth games this season. According to reports from Dailymail, the Blues turned down accreditation requests from Liverpool after the Reds signed highly-rated 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha this past summer. Chelsea also banned Manchester United scouts for their interest in signing another England youth international from the club.
The move to block access appears to stem from frustration over the recent loss of Ngumoha to Liverpool, with his family reportedly seeing a clearer pathway to the first team at Anfield due to the Reds’ track record of promoting youth talent.
This ban, however, could clash with Premier League youth development rule 247, which mandates that clubs must allow scouts from other teams to attend youth matches, provided they request accreditation in advance and provide the necessary identification. If Chelsea’s actions are deemed in violation of these rules, it could lead to complications with the Premier League.
There is speculation that Liverpool may reciprocate the ban, but insiders from Anfield suggest they are not overly concerned about the situation.
