Chelsea have announced a rebrand of their under-21 and under-19 teams, confirming their new name as Cobham Next Gen.
The club say the new name, effective from this season, “reflects the age profile of our leading academy side and Chelsea’s long-standing heritage of developing the next generation of players for the senior game.”
Chelsea’s U21s competed in Premier League 2 last season but their average age was closer to U18 level, including some players who were just 16, the club say. Chelsea added that a name-change reflects the group of players who are at the final stage before the first team.
Similarly, Manchester City renamed their youth sides as the Elite Development Squad in 2011-12.
The Chelsea academy has proven its pathway to the first team. Club captain Reece James, Levi Colwill and Josh Acheampong all came from the youth ranks within the club.
Head coach Harry Hudson will continue to lead Cobham Next Gen this year. He began leading the U-21 side when Calum McFarlane stepped up into Liam Rosenior’s first-team coaching staff.
Chelsea’s first team, now under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaign on Monday night at local rivals Fulham.
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