CHELSEA HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES under the media spotlight for questionable reasons today after signing an 11-year-old striker from a club 89 rungs below them in the footballing ladder.

Fox Michael Gyasi, a German-born striker who has spent two years at the academy of Northampton Town, who lie third-from-bottom in League 2, has been signed up by the Premiership champions after impressing them while on a summer trial with them.

He had been invited to the trial after appearing on the club’s radar when playing against a side from Chelsea’s own youth academy – with the Northampton under-10s.

While no transfer fees can be paid for a player of Gyasi’s age, Chelsea are required to reimburse Northampton for their expense in developing the player to date – a downpayment of £10,000 in this regard has been organised, according to reports.

Although Northampton has expressed public pride at the deal, which will help to fund its youth development structures, the deal is a worrying indication of how competitive the market for promising young talent has become.

“I think this is a trend that is going to happen,” the head of Northampton’s centre of excellence, Trevor Gould, said.

When you are young, you learn most about football and Michael will now play against better teams and better players.

Chelsea have got somebody special. If he does well, we will be well rewarded. Chelsea have been magnificent and fair.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes have already offered odds of 50/1 in Gyasi featuring in the Chelsea first team by 2015, and 100/1 that he will be the top goalscorer in the Premier League before 2020.

“With talk of Drogba one day returning to Marseille, the hunt is on for a successor,” said Alex Donohoe of the bookmaker. ”If Gyasi is half as good, he’s set for a very bright future.”