Who is Freddy Bernal? Arsenal 'make move' for latest Chelsea academy star | OneFootball

Gunners are said to have already seen a seven-figure offer for teenage Blues goalkeeper rejected before the summer

Chelsea have reportedly turned down a £1.25million bid from Arsenal for academy goalkeeper Freddy Bernal.

Bernal has trained with the first team occasionally this campaign, and was on Monday named in England’s squad for the Under-17 European Championship, which will be held in Albania later this month.

Flying: Bernal’s performances with Chelsea have earned him another international call-up with England

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Bernal returns to the squad having attended camps throughout this season, debuting in a goalless draw with Israel last September.

He has been in the England fold since U15 level and joined the U18s’ camp in March, but was an unused substitute in matches against Portugal, France, and the Czech Republic.

Bernal is part of a promising new generation at Cobham. He featured in goal as Chelsea pipped Leeds to the 2023/24 Floodlit Super Cup, a national U15 competition.

He is continuing to punch above his weight as he climbs the academy ranks. Still just 16, he has been a regular in Chelsea’s U18 campaign this year, making five appearances as the Blues battled to a fourth-placed finish in the U18 Premier League South, five points off top spot.

He made his U18 debut in a 4-2 loss to Crystal Palace, stepping up from the U16s to join five other first-year Chelsea scholars in a rotated team, and had travelled with the squad occasionally as they lifted the Premier League South title last season. That team featured Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George, who are now first-team regulars under Enzo Maresca.

It is unsurprising to see Bernal generate such transfer interest. He has climbed the academy ranks at pace thanks to his sharp shot-stopping and domineering aerial presence in the penalty area.

His distribution abilities have also caught the eye, helping the Blues to launch attacks with pinpoint long passes and accurate throws.

Bernal could be set to join the long list of players who have graduated from Cobham to the Chelsea first team, though he could follow his former team-mate Rio Ngumoha, now at Liverpool, in opting for a move away.