Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca considers handing debut to 15-year-old compared to Jude Bellingham

Per The Sun, 15-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli is being considered for his Stamford Bridge debut by manager Maresca. The wonderkid is widely considered as the best player in the world in his age category and has already attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe. So high is the hype around Nicoll-Jazuli that he is being tipped to become the next Jude Bellingham because of the striking similarities between the Real Madrid star and the youngster's playing style.

The report adds that Chelsea head coach Maresca is known to be an admirer of the youngster and the Italian recently invited the player to train with the first team ahead of their Champions League fixture against Ajax. Nicoll-Jazuli does not turn 16 until January but Maresca is already planning to hand him his senior debut in the near future. The midfielder has already represented England at the U-17 level, although he is just 15 at the moment.  

Hyping the young Blue, a source told The Sun: "You have to keep an eye on Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, he will be the next big thing to come out of Cobham and plays like Jude Bellingham. You only have to see him play once to realise he’s a different kind of talent. The manager is so impressed with him that he plans to hand him his first-team debut soon."

The Blues, like many other Premier League clubs, are amid a hectic fixture crunch which prompted Maresca to rest a host of first team stars and field a bunch of young players to take on Ajax in the Champions League this week. The youngsters repaid the faith shown by their manager as the English giants marched to a thumping 5-1 over the Eredivisie side. In the process, Chelsea also scripted a Champions League record as they became the first team ever in the competition to have three different teenagers - Marc Guiu (19), Estevao Willian (18), and Tyrique George (19) - on the scoresheet in the same match. 

The head coach also handed a European debut to Reggie Walsh, who, at just 17, became the youngest player in Chelsea’s Champions League history and the second youngest Englishman to ever play in the competition after Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. Overall, ten Chelsea players aged 21 or younger featured in the match, a staggering testament to the club’s youth-driven strategy.

After the game, Maresca had heaped praise on his young guns, as he said: "It's the strategy of the club. We have so many young players. I think already last season we were the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, so this season we continue in the same way. I work with them every day, I know what they can do. I know also that we're going to have moments where we struggle a little bit more, for sure. But I think the good thing about them is that they want to learn, they want to improve and I think it's good."

Arsenal recently proved that age is just a number as Mikel Arteta handed their wonderkid Max Dowman his senior debut against Leeds United in the Premier League before he turned 16. The Sun report further adds that the Blues consider Nicoll-Jazuli even more talented than Dowman. The youngster's passing is crisp, his vision is outstanding and his eye for the goal makes him a complete package. The teenager recently became the youngest Chelsea player to start in a UEFA Youth League match.

Maresca's men will be back in action on Saturday as they host Sunderland in a crucial Premier League fixture.