Who is Gaël Kakuta?
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Find out more about Gaël Kakuta, the French wonderkid at centre of Chelsea's transfer storm.
Kakuta - labelled the Black Zidane - is at the centre of one of the biggest football stories of the year after Chelsea's desperation to get the 18-year-old midfielder on the books by co-ercing the youngster into breaking his contract at Lens, has backfired with the Blues banned from signing players until January 2011.
Chelsea's academy director Frank Arnesen was behind the acquisition of the teenager in 2007 and reportedly told the club's hierarchy: "I've just signed the best young kid in France."
While French newspapers have run stories saying Chelsea offered Kakuta's family £1 million to secure the youngster's signing though those claims have been denied by his agent Roger Boli.
In his first season with the Blues, Kakuta was voted the club's Academy Player of the Year after finishing as the top scorer in the youth side, finishing his first Chelsea season with 12 goals in 20 starts, this included a hat-trick against Port Vale in the FA Youth Cup.
And he was rewarded for his fine performances with a call-up for the France side for the UEFA U-17 Championships last summer, firing Les Bleus to the final although the game was lost.
His second season at Stamford Bridge saw Kakuta make 5 more appearances for the youth team as well as making the step up to the reserves, playing two games. His season though was ended by injury after the player suffered a hamstring injury and a double ankle fracture.
But he returned fit and firing this summer and was expected to play a major role in Chelsea's reserve campaign.
However, the stunning verdict from FIFA has ended his hopes of featuring before next year.
Kakuta - labelled the Black Zidane - is at the centre of one of the biggest football stories of the year after Chelsea's desperation to get the 18-year-old midfielder on the books by co-ercing the youngster into breaking his contract at Lens, has backfired with the Blues banned from signing players until January 2011.
Chelsea's academy director Frank Arnesen was behind the acquisition of the teenager in 2007 and reportedly told the club's hierarchy: "I've just signed the best young kid in France."
While French newspapers have run stories saying Chelsea offered Kakuta's family £1 million to secure the youngster's signing though those claims have been denied by his agent Roger Boli.
In his first season with the Blues, Kakuta was voted the club's Academy Player of the Year after finishing as the top scorer in the youth side, finishing his first Chelsea season with 12 goals in 20 starts, this included a hat-trick against Port Vale in the FA Youth Cup.
And he was rewarded for his fine performances with a call-up for the France side for the UEFA U-17 Championships last summer, firing Les Bleus to the final although the game was lost.
His second season at Stamford Bridge saw Kakuta make 5 more appearances for the youth team as well as making the step up to the reserves, playing two games. His season though was ended by injury after the player suffered a hamstring injury and a double ankle fracture.
But he returned fit and firing this summer and was expected to play a major role in Chelsea's reserve campaign.
However, the stunning verdict from FIFA has ended his hopes of featuring before next year.
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