News about Manchester United's U18 star JJ-Gabriel's departure has been relentless. The Telegraph reported that in recent years, Premier League giants have competed fiercely for promising young talents, and the situation has become intense.

With Chelsea down by two goals, Xabi Alonso opted to give a 16-year-old from Chelsea's academy his first-team debut.

Those who follow youth football say Nicol-Jazulie has exceptional potential.

Alonso briefly mentioned after the match that he hoped this player, the first Premier League player born in 2010 to make such a debut, could inject vitality into a sluggish second-half performance. Still, it's hard not to connect this to the news revealed by The Telegraph on Tuesday that Manchester United's U18 prospect JJ-Gabriel asked to leave Manchester United's academy.

Over the past two years, the cold war simmering between the academies of Premier League giants has escalated completely.

Many consider 2024 a turning point: Liverpool and Manchester City each poached two young players from Chelsea, with Ryan McAidoo among them. This immediately triggered retaliation, with Chelsea signing Isaac McGuilvary, then 14 years old.

The tacit agreement between clubs not to poach players from one another disappeared overnight, leading to unbridled competition.

"Tactical debuts" have also emerged: young players are given first-team appearances to strengthen the bond between the club, the player, and his family. Nicol-Jazulie's debut may have been made with this consideration in mind.

A year ago, Dowman (then 15 years and 253 days old) and Ngumoha (16 years and 135 days old) also made their debuts, and both have proven their worth since then. Competition for young talent is now extremely fierce, and even first-team managers, burdened by pressure for results, need to get involved.

Earlier this month, Chelsea gave another 16-year-old, Reggie Watson, his debut in the Carabao Cup. The club signed him from Crystal Palace's academy for approximately £1.2 million; his father is former Crystal Palace player Ben Watson. Reggie and Nicol-Jazulie will likely rotate between the first team and U21 this season before being loaned out. Slightly older academy prospects, Reggie Walsh and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, followed this path, making their Chelsea first-team debuts last year, and are now 17 years old and currently on loan.

A major concern for Premier League clubs is when their top academy talents hold an EU passport. It is understood that JJ-Gabriel is eligible for an EU passport. His father, Joe Ossaior, was born in London and briefly represented the Republic of Ireland national team. Nicol-Jazulie holds a French passport. A 16-year-old with an EU passport can join a club in an EU country, and the compensation paid to the original Premier League club is calculated based on a fixed standard according to the player's years at the club. This compensation is very low, comparable to what Premier League clubs paid when they signed young Fabregas and Piqué years ago.

This arms race was initiated by the clubs, and with no party willing to cease hostilities, the cost is high. Public opinion often blames the players' parents, and many parents' motives are indeed questionable.

But what truly transforms academy players into high-value assets is the existing system, especially under Premier League and UEFA spending controls. This has led to a growing number of savvy parents carefully planning their children's careers. Players also maintain networks of friendships across clubs, mainly formed through various England youth teams, and they share information about offers from other clubs.

For mid-table and lower division clubs, it has long been common for their excellent academy talents to be poached by bigger clubs. They feel little sympathy when clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea face the same situation. And now, clubs willing to spend money to acquire academy talent are no longer just a handful of giants.

Tottenham had previously suffered from some failed academy signings and had long been unwilling to pay transfer fees for young players. But this summer, Tottenham launched a major academy recruitment drive: signing two teenagers from West Ham, including one aged 15; also signing 14-year-olds from Watford and Charlton, plus a 13-year-old from Luton. Nottingham Forest signed twins Entag Jubilee and Joseph, both 16, from Reading. Aston Villa and Wolves also entered the competition.

Brexit completely changed the landscape.

Before 2016, recruitment directors at Chelsea or Manchester City frequently traveled to the Netherlands and Spain on weekends to watch young players. Players could join in the summer once they turned 16, with transfer fees calculated according to FIFA compensation standards. At that time, top Barcelona academy prospects might cost only €200,000 (£172,000). Now, a top young talent from a Premier League academy system can be valued at £2 million, with entry-level agent fees around £1 million, and clubs must also promise a professional contract when the player turns 17. Including all expenses, the total cost of investing in a young player is approximately £15 million.

Is this investment worth it?

Liverpool took a risk in signing Ngumoha; before he even turned 16, the fixed transfer fee was £2.6 million, with the total deal value around £6.8 million, a record for a player his age. If he continues to develop, his value could rise to £100 million, and if he makes his England debut, the investment will have been worthwhile. Both competitively and financially, this is the profit margin all clubs are chasing.

A Premier League club outside the "Big Six" needs approximately £7.5 million annually to maintain an academy system. However, many clubs at this level often lose players well before they reach their full transfer value. The major giants run full-time education programs and, under Premier League rules, can recruit young players from across England from the U14 age group onwards.

There are travel time restrictions for younger players, making competition for top young talent in the U9 age group (the starting age for academies) fierce. Promising youngsters are invited to meet first-team players, and clubs also organize dinners for their families.

Eighteen years ago, Chelsea beat many rivals to sign Reece James; several clubs in and around London were competing for him. This signing is considered a success story. Now 26, Reece James is the team captain.

Many young players' parents now manage their children's social media accounts. At Manchester City, during the U9 signing ceremony for new recruits, each child walks onto the Etihad Stadium pitch individually, with fireworks, mascots in full costume, and flag-bearers present.

Another Premier League club arranged for children to travel on the first-team bus to the signing ceremony, with parents waving flags and setting off colored smoke outside the stadium to create the atmosphere of a major match day.

Undoubtedly, these eight-year-olds receive high-quality training and education. But it's also understandable that when they turn 16, the best of these boys, along with their parents, will have extremely high expectations. They are guided this way from the moment they enter the academy.

They also know that if their current club is unwilling to meet their demands, there will always be other clubs willing to accept them.

Traduzido por IA.

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