Chelsea showing interest in signing 17-year-old midfielder - Reports

Chelsea have shown interest in signing 17-year-old Luka Hyrylainen from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, according to The Sun (via Caught Offside).

Born in 2004, Luka Hyrylainen joined Eintracht Frankfurt's youth setup from Finland's HJK Helsinki in 2020. The 17-year-old Finnish player is primarily a defensive midfielder but is also capable of playing in central midfield if necessary. Hyrylainen is currently playing for Frankfurt's U-19 side where he has contributed two goals and three assists from 17 appearances this season.

His performances for the U-19 team have attracted interest from a host of European clubs, with Chelsea being one of them. According to the aforementioned source, Hyrylainen has just one year remaining on his current contract with Eintracht Frankfurt. This could tempt Thomas Tuchel's side to sign him on a cheap this summer.

However, it is worth mentioning that Chelsea will only be able to sign new players once their transfer restrictions have been lifted by the government. The Blues are on the verge of a takeover by a consortium led by Tedd Boehly. Once the deal goes through, the Blues will be able to do business in the transfer window.

Luka Hyrylainen could be seen as a long-term replacement for the likes of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho provided he develops well over the years.

Chelsea possess one of the best youth systems in the Premier League. The Cobham academy has been responsible for producing the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham in recent years. If the deal does go through, Luka Hyrylainen will have the chance to nurture under one of the finest academies in England.

However, there is always a risk of joining Chelsea's youth system. The Blues usually send their youngsters on multiple long loan moves before giving them a chance in the first-team. Sometimes these young players are sold on for a profit without them making a single first-team appearance.

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Chelsea take on Leicester City in the Premier League

Thomas Tuchel's side will take on Leicester City in the Premier League on Thursday, 19 May. The Blues need to avoid defeat for them to secure third place in the league standings.

As things stand, Tottenham Hotspur are just two points behind the Blues in fourth place. Spurs, however, have played one more game.

A draw would be sufficient for the Blues to secure third place as they possess a much better goal difference compared to Tottenham Hotspur.