Former Chelsea academy graduate Ike Ugbo tells club made big mistake on Fikayo Tomori who could be better than Terry and Ferdinand
Graham Potter could have had one of England’s brightest young defenders, who can become even better than John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Tony Adams.
Former Chelsea star Fikayo Tomori can become even better than John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Tony Adams, according to Cobham graduate Ike Ugbo. The ex-Blues academy striker was a teammate of the defender and expects the 24-year-old to become one of England’s all-time great centre-backs.
Speaking to MilanNews, Ugbo spoke of Tomori’s impressive display for AC Milan versus RB Salzburg in the Champions League last week. HIs imperious performance was proof that he can reach the level of the aforementioned trio.
“He can become even better than them. He is young, he has time on his side and a lot of room for growth.
“For Fik, playing the Champions League with the Rossoneri is incredible. Last week I had watched the match against Red Bull Salzburg. I’m happy that he plays at the highest level where he can demonstrate all his qualities.”
Ugbo, who now plies his trade in France’s top-flight, continued by recalling his fond memories alongside Tomori in the Chelsea youth setup. The 23-year-old referenced the development of Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, who have gone on to play for the Three Lions with the Milan defender.
“A beautiful memory binds me to Fik, together with Chelsea we won the Youth Cup, the equivalent of the Youth Champions League” the Ligue 1 striker said. “And it’s nice to see my former team-mates like Mount, Gallagher and Tomori playing in England, Italy and in the Champions League. These are also my goals.”
Tomori defender swapped Stamford Bridge for the San Siro in January 2021 and hasn’t looked back since. And, hall of fame defender Paulo Maldini looks to have played a major role in the Englishman reaching his potential.
“When he was speaking to me, I was like: ‘this is Paulo Maldini!’,” said Tomori. “‘He is at the training ground every day, so as a defender, I want to impress him.
“Midway through my loan, last season, we had a chat last season and were talking about my game. He told me what I need to improve and he is really engaging. When he says something, you are going to listen. It is definitely a nice thing to have him around, and he has been a big help.”
Chelsea have since been left to rue their decision to let Tomori go — a player who would’ve been a perfect alternative to Wesley Fofana. However, the Blues still don’t seem to have learned their lesson after Levi Colwill was heavily linked with a permanent exit this summer.
