Faustino Anjorin Still off the Mark at Stamford Bridge
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Tino Anjorin of Chelsea celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the FA Youth Cup Final second leg between Chelsea and Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on April 30, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
When he signed a new contract with Chelsea last season, there was high hope that a first team shirt was in the making. Manager, Thomas Tuchel indeed went on to praise Faustino Anjorin’s incredible talent. It was however not to be as he was loaned to Russian powerhouse, Lokomotiv Moscow to garner more experience and ramp up playing time Lokomotiv Moscow reached agreement with Chelsea over transfer of Anglo-Nigerian wonderkid, Faustino Anjorin has completed his move to Russian Premier League side, Lokomotiv Moscow.
It should be noted that the summer transfer window is still open in Russia until Tuesday, September.
Lokomotiv Moscow signed the England youth international on an initial loan, with an option to buy inserted into the deal.
Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano posted on Facebook on Wednesday: “Agreement done and completed between Chelsea and Lokomotiv Moscow for Tino Anjorin. Long term contract and loan to Russian club – where the market is still open.”
Anjorin’s signed a new contract at Chelsea last summer, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until June 30, 2025.
The 19-year-old is expected to join his new team after the international break as he was named in the latest England U-20 squad for their friendly against Romania at St. George’s Park on Monday, September 6.
Anjorin faced Russian opposition in the form of Krasnodar in the group stage of last season’s UEFA Champions League, playing for eighty minutes in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Anjorin had his medical in Russia ahead of a season-long loan move to Lokomotiv Moscow, according to reports.
The 19-year-old is highly rated at Chelsea by boss Tuchel but he is set to depart this summer, joining a crop of young talents to head for the exit doors.
The midfielder will depart in a season-long loan deal which includes an option to buy.
The fee to purchase the midfielder in January, half way through the loan spell is £17 million.
Chelsea have negotiated a buy-back fee which is worth €40 million (£34 million) that can be activated by the Blues in the future if Lokomotiv make the loan deal permanent.
Ralf Rangnick is the man leading the interest, and the director is somebody that Tuchel has looked up to in German football.
Anjorin only featured a handful of times for the Chelsea first team and will be looking for more regular football in Russia as he joins the team fourth in the Russian Premier League.
He will join fellow academy star Ethan Ampadu in securing a deadline day loan move, with the Welshman spending the season at Venezia.
Chelsea boss Tuchel provided an insight into the lack of minutes afforded to during the pre-season.
The 19-year-old has long been viewed as one of the most promising young talents on the books in South-west London.
The English youth international is an attacking midfielder by trade, but is also more than capable of lining out in a more orthodox central role in the middle of the park.
Anjorin’s starring displays at youth level saw him named the captain of Chelsea’s Youth Cup side in 2019/20, with a further four goals and four assists across 10 Premier League 2 appearances last season having seen the teen’s star continue to rise.
Such stellar exploits, in turn, even saw Anjorin carve out a regular spot for himself in the first-team setup of Frank Lampard late last year.
The midfield talent was afforded his Champions League bow in December, managing 80 minutes en route to a 1-1 group stage stalemate with Russian outfit Krasnodar, before also taking to the pitch in a pair of FA Cup ties.
As a result, the Chelsea faithful could not have been blamed for making clear their hope that the club’s latest up and coming young talent would be afforded a consistent chance to impress in this new campaign but it was not to be so after a loan spell with Russian club Lokomotiv came calling.
The Pensioners played a trio of pre-season friendlies, versus Bournemouth, Arsenal and Tottenham respectively and Anjorin only featured in one, in a cameo off the bench.
Tuchel, as a result, was inevitably drawn on the surprising lack of game-time afforded to his side’s midfield starlet, during an exchange with the media.
And the Chelsea boss went on to cite a bout of COVID-19 as the determining factor, with Anjorin, unfortunately, having ‘really suffered for 10 to 12 days.’
