Chelsea hit issue in race to sign £750k Blackburn Rovers player - Man City also keen | OneFootball

The youngster gained international attention four years ago on a football tour in Spain

Chelsea's deal for Blackburn Rovers wonderkid Camden Schaper has hit a devastating roadblock that leaves the 13-year-old in limbo.

Schaper was also reportedly wanted by Manchester City, as they already have his younger brother on the books of their academy, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The youngster gained international attention four years ago, in 2021, when captaining SuperSport United's U11 team for a tour in Spain.

SuperSport are a South African side, and Schaper's deal with Chelsea is in jeopardy because of his nationality.

The Visa headache threatening Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea switch for Camden Schaper

When the midfielder arrived in England 18 months ago with his family, Blackburn Rovers were given special permission for him to join their academy, as per Nixon via his Patreon.

International players under 18-years-old face heavy restrictions on transfers between clubs under current UK immigration rules.

This issue in Schaper's £750k Chelsea transfer, Nixon states, is made harder by the fact that Schaper would need to apply for a visa to play for Chelsea - something that may simply not be available to someone of his age.

Nixon reports Chelsea cannot even begin the visa application process until they have completed the transfer, meaning the Blues would have to pay Rovers the full reported £750k fee before knowing whether Schaper can actually obtain permisssion to play for them.

Although it won't leave Enzo Maresca's side out of pocket, as they are ranked 10th on Forbes' list for team value, Schaper would find himself without a club and unable to sign for any other British team for at least twelve months.

As it stands, Nixon says Schaper remains training with Blackburn Rovers while Chelsea's legal team explore every possible avenue to resolve the visa issue.

The 13-year-old continues to develop his game at the Lancashire club, but the situation sums up what some may argue is wrong in modern football.

Yes, the reported fee of £750k is crazy for a 13-year-old, but similar deals have been done before - take Manchester City signing 15-year-old Caelan Cadamarteri for £1.5m from Sheffield Wednesday.

Here is a player who has already been granted permission to live and train in England, who could be prevented from taking the next step in his career by paperwork.

If Chelsea can find a way through this situation, it may open doors for other young talents facing similar obstacles, but signing literal kids for academies with huge fees isn't seen as the most ethical by many.