One To Watch: Blues looking to deck the Hall with MLS wonderkid

Major League Soccer wonderkid Julian Hall is Chelsea's latest target as Todd Boehly pushes forward with his aggressive recruitment strategy.

The Blues' American owner has put together a pool of up-and-coming talents since arriving in West London and New York Red Bulls forward Hall is next on his list of potential recruits.

Chelsea will face stiff competition for the 15-year-old with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all tracking him.

As the in-demand prospect weighs up his options, we take a look at why he is one to watch over the next few months.

Impressing the boss

Hall has already faced Chelsea during the Under-15s Generation adidas Cup in April.

The New Yorker scored twice in the match — catching the eye of Boehly in the process — and has since been chased by the Premier League club, who are keen to offer him a trial in Cobham.

Hall turns 16 in January and has a Polish passport, making his passage into English football easier.

The 5ft 10in speedster could join the likes of Deivid Washington, Andrey Santos, Cesare Casadei and Gabriel Slonina as talents at Mauricio Pochettino's disposal for years to come.

Help is at hand

It may take some time for Hall to choose his next club but any other interested parties can rest assured that he will be looked after.

The youngster signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Red Bulls last month and will continue to be developed by the MLS side.

After signing that contract, his boss Troy Lesesne said: "We have seen very good things from Julian over the last calendar year.

"Julian is a very promising young striker that has a lot of potential and we are excited to help him to continue to grow."

Head of Sport Jochen Schneider added: "Julian has had a very good season and has demonstrated that he has the qualities to succeed in our system."

Making history 

After making his first senior appearance at the end of September, Hall became the second-youngest player to ever debut in an MLS match.

His 10-minute cameo came just 23 days after he signed his first professional contract and although his side lost, the Red Bulls' No41 delivered a performance full of quality.

A strong finisher with his right foot, Hall is capable of scoring or creating in the final third and his intense pressing is something that would impress coaches like Pochettino.

His positioning and quick feet make him a suitable fit for the Premier League and he looks to have all of the features of a well-rounded goalscorer.

Pay up, Todd

Like with all of the world's greatest youth prospects, there is a price to pay for someone who may become the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid forked out nearly £60million for 16-year-old Endrick last year and Chelsea themselves spent over £100m on players aged under 20 this summer.

Alternatively, the MLS side could also offer him a pathway into Europe through RB Leipzig or RB Salzburg, who have developed the likes of Erling Haaland, Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai.