With a long history of developing players who have gone on to enjoy success in the Premier League and even win the Champions League, Chelsea has built a reputation for identifying and nurturing young talent.

But where do these Blues come from? The answer lies in the Academy's dedicated scouting department, which searches for young talent from local grassroots football to online analytical footage.

To provide a deeper understanding of the scouting journey that players experience through the Future Blues programme, we spoke with Academy head of integration scouting & trial players Nick Brown to learn more about the process the potential next generation of Blues go through before they sign as a Chelsea player.

‘The Future Blues programme is pivotal to Chelsea’s overall strategy for discovering and nurturing young talent,’ Brown explained. ‘We focus on players who are on the verge of readiness, providing them with an essential pathway to progress to the professional level.

‘These sessions not only enhance technical skills but also immerse players in a competitive environment that mirrors the real day-to-day sessions our Academy players experience.

‘This allows us to evaluate players’ performance under pressure, helping coaches make informed decisions about their potential for the Academy.’

Nick further detailed the stages a player might go through during their trial with the club, and how the Future Blues programme offers a taste of what it's like to be a Chelsea player.

‘Our pathway and filtering process ensures that only the most promising players advance through the ranks.

'Initially, scouts identify potential talent and minitor players over a period of one month to six weeks. Once selected, players undergo comprehensive assessments conducted by coaches and scouts on a weekly basis.

‘The scoring system enables us to evaluate players across various criteria. Ultimately assigning them an average score at the end of each assessment block. This data-driven approach helps us make objective recommendations for each player’s future.’

The relaunch of the Future Blues programme is significant, as it explores a more collaborative environment between scouts and coaches.

The Future Blues process has already shown significant success, with nearly 400 players evaluated last year, leading to a few signing for the Chelsea Academy through our Integrated Pathway.

Currently, around 20 of those players remain in the programme having signed over recent years, showcasing solid retention and successful integration.

With the rebranding of our scouting programme, Chelsea continues to extend our talent search globally using AI technology. This allows the Academy to assess online footage and compare prospective players with Chelsea’s current roster.

Darren Grace, head of local recruitment, explained how AI technology and partnering with aiScout has helped him and the rest of the team as young players enter this new era of player identification.

‘The programme has been in place for a couple of years now and we’ve been really happy with the players that have come through that process.

‘Our goal is to increase the perception of what the filtering process is and bring players into our centres quicker. Anything we can do to support scouts in identifying players early and assessing them quicker will help us gain an advantage over other clubs.

‘AI will allow Chelsea to look at players from much further afield, with players showcasing their talent globally through the aiScout app. Ultimately, the programme will align with Chelsea’s global recruitment strategy of identifying the best players across the world.’

By combining the experience of our scouts with advancing technology, Chelsea aims to stay ahead of the competition and continue developing world-class talent for years to come.

Working with aiScout has been instrumental in helping Chelsea's men’s Academy discover talent both across the UK and globally. Having partnered with Chelsea for over six years, the aiScout app democratises access to football trials, allowing aspiring players from anywhere in the world to participate using just their mobile phones.

Richard Felton-Thomas, aiScout chief operating officer, gave us a detailed breakdown of the new technology used to help scout young talent.

'We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Chelsea,' he said. 'Our mission is to provide opportunities for all players, regardless of their personal circumstances, and eliminate bias in the scouting process. Chelsea fully supports this vision.

'For players, it’s straightforward. They download the aiScout app, complete athletic and technical drills chosen by the Club, and upload the videos to the cloud. Our AI then tracks, analyses, and ranks their performance.

'We don’t just track body movements, the technology also monitors the ball’s behaviour, analysing how it interacts with the player’s movements, whether it’s a passing or shooting drill.

'For Chelsea Academy scouts and coaches, the data provides deeper insights to make more informed decisions about players.

'We continue collaborating with the club to regularly assess Academy players, supporting their ongoing development and updating performance benchmarks.'

Do you have what it takes to be a Future Blue?

Young talent can now apply to be a future Chelsea player through using our aiScout resources. Players simply need to download the aiScout app, create a profile, and complete a series of drills designed by the Chelsea Academy.

The app's AI technology then analyses these trial entries and provides scores to both the players and Chelsea. Based on the scores and profiles, Chelsea scouts and coaches assess the potential of players and may invite them for in-person trials.