Chelsea should close their academy – Neville

Former Manchester United and England defender Phil Neville sees little use for Chelsea’s youth academy, given the lack of young talent breaking through into the senior side.

Blues manager Antonio Conte has made no secret of his frustrations with the size of his squad, claiming after Wednesday’s 3-3 draw against Roma in the Champions League that he only has “11 fit players”, despite allowing many young players to leave on loan.

Even after recent domestic and European success at youth level, Neville believes Chelsea’s hesitance to use younger players, even in times of desperation, may drive top talent away from the club.