Chelsea tie up teenage midfielder Nicoll-Jazuli

[Getty Images] Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli has agreed his first professional deal at Chelsea despite interest from overseas clubs. The midfielder, 16, will not formally sign the contract until he turns 17 in January. Rules state that players only sign three-year deals on their first pro terms, but Nicoll-Jazuli is expected to enjoy a longer stay at Stamford Bridge beyond the initial terms. Nicoll-Jazuli had been weighing up a switch abroad and holds a French passport, meaning he would have been able to move despite being under 18. However, he had not considered leaving Chelsea for an English rival. The decision to stay was influenced by a strong internal push, significant support from the club hierarchy regarding his development, and his roots in London, where he grew up to an Australian mother and a father from the Chad-Sudan border region. Nicoll-Jazuli has already played against senior opposition at the age of 15 in the EFL Trophy, became Chelsea's youngest starter in the Uefa Youth League last season and has trained with the first team on multiple occasions. There is a strong possibility he will be included in Chelsea's pre-season tour of Australasia and could make his senior debut under new manager Xabi Alonso during the 2026-27 campaign. Meanwhile, such are the expectations surrounding Nicoll-Jazuli's development that he is choosing between Nike, Adidas and New Balance for his first boot sponsorship deal.