Omari Hutchinson to be handed first-team chance at Chelsea?

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 21 October 2022

Chelsea starlet Omari Hutchinson's chances of earning first-team opportunities before the end of the year are looking good, according to a report.

Chelsea starlet Omari Hutchinson could reportedly be given the chance to test himself at senior level in the near future.

The 18-year-old was a surprise acquisition at Stamford Bridge in the summer, having rejected the chance to remain at Arsenal after contract talks with the Gunners broke down.

Hutchinson spent six years in the Emirates youth ranks before leaving for Chelsea in the summer transfer window, and he has made an immediate impression at youth level.

The Jamaica international has scored four goals and set up five more for the club's Under-21s in all competitions, including three strikes and three assists in nine Premier League 2 appearances.

In the EFL Trophy, Hutchinson has one goal and two assists to boast from three outings, all of which came in a 3-2 win away to Leyton Orient.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter during Champions League fixture at AC Milan on October 11, 2022. © Reuters

Hutchinson left Arsenal without making a single appearance for the first team, and he is yet to make the matchday squad for Chelsea's senior side.

However, The Athletic now claims that Chelsea staff has been left impressed by Hutchinson's adaptation, and he has even been compared to ex-Blues winger Eden Hazard.

The teenager's contributions against Leyton Orient confirmed Chelsea Under-21s' place in the EFL Trophy knockout rounds, and there are now calls for him to earn chances in the first team.

The report adds that Hutchinson has been involved in regular training sessions with the senior side in recent weeks, and Graham Potter's men have been left impressed by what they have seen.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Raheem Sterling are among those to have offered Hutchinson words of encouragement, and he could find himself on the first-team bench late in the calendar year.

Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring for Chelsea on September 14, 2022 © Reuters

Furthermore, Chelsea have supposedly asked the attacker to delay a decision on whether he will be involved for Jamaica against Cameroon on November 9 due to the possibility of being included in the Blues' EFL Cup squad against Manchester City that evening.

Chelsea Under-21s' coach Mark Robinson believes that a weight has been lifted from Hutchinson's shoulders since his move from Arsenal, telling the publication: "Omari has been fantastic.

"When you are a young player and you make that change of club, there is a lot of pressure on you. When he first came in, he probably felt that pressure, the big expectations on him moving from Arsenal and coming across to Chelsea.

"I think, in his early performances, there was that pressure. But as time has gone on, you are seeing him relaxing more and more and he is really starting to show the player he is going to be."

Hutchinson is also said to be one of the best-paid players in Chelsea's development squad, and a loan move away from Stamford Bridge is expected to come to fruition soon.