Shock new face in Blues line-up

Chelsea appear to have outsmarted Liverpool in the race to sign Ivory Coast prodigy Victorien Angban after he played against Northwood.

The 15-year-old midfielder appeared alongside his older brother in a 0-0 draw between a Chelsea Under-21 side and the non-league club at Northwood's Chestnut Avenue on Saturday afternoon. Angban was one of the stars of the Fifa World Under-17 Cup in Mexico last year and played alongside Souleymane Coulibaly, the tournament's top scorer who later joined Spurs. Liverpool were quick to open talks with his club Stade d'Abidjan after the tournament and were thought to be close to pulling off a deal, offering the player a five-year deal despite him being just 14 at the time. However, Damien Comolli's subsequent sacking let Chelsea in and Blues' transfer supremo Michael Emenalo has swooped to being in both Victorien Angban and his older brother Vincent - a 27-year-old goalkeeper.