Bought from Paris FC for €1.8m, Sami Tlemcani was always one for the future for Chelsea, and that’s exactly what’s happened.
The now 18-year-old arrived aged 16, but has yet to feature for the Blues’ first-team, where both Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga are battling it out for the starting spot under all their recent managers.
Tlemcani isn’t overly bothered about that for now, as he knows his time could come at any time, explaining as much in an interview with Onze Mondial where he discussed his past and present.
Originally a youngster at Paris FC, he was spotted by long-time Chelsea collaborator Christophe Lollichon, which eventually led to the Stamford Bridge trying to sign him.
The French side initially asked for €5m, which took the Blues by surprise, and that’s something that meant a lot to Tlemcani.
He added: “When I saw that Paris FC turned down the offers from Chelsea, I thought I really had something to do in this club. They didn’t let me go to the first club that came with money, and that made me happy. I thought I would stay at Paris FC to continue my development in France, but, in the end, I didn’t really have a choice, because they found an agreement at the last minute.”
Moving to a new country at 16 was a big step for Tlemcani, and he admits that, looking back at it now, he probably ‘wasn’t ready’, far too young and not mature enough to undertake it. And that’s even taking into account that Chelsea were ‘the club of his heart’ since he was a kid.
As for his lack of game time at Chelsea, he said: “It will be hard to dethrone [Mendy and Kepa] in the long-term. I’m not really asking myself questions. I’m working hard and if my chance comes, I will take it. For now, I’m playing with the U21s, but I don’t know the hierarchy nor what the club want to do with me going forward. I’m calm. We’ll go over it at the end of the season.”
Aside from his time at Chelsea with the U21s, the youngster spent two months last year on loan at Merstham.
