Chelsea's hidden gem: the 19-year-old nobody saw coming

The 19-year-old defender has been included successful Graham Potter's squad for November's UEFA Nations League fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Poland, marking different important measurement successful his development.

Antwi joined Chelsea's sister nine Strasbourg connected a season-long indebtedness successful August, seeking the regular first-team opportunities that had been hard to get astatine Stamford Bridge.

His advancement successful Ligue 1 has been impressive, with the Swedish full-back starting 8 of Strasbourg's 9 league matches since arriving successful France.

And his performances person not gone unnoticed by Potter, the erstwhile Chelsea manager, who revealed that helium had besides received affirmative feedback astir the youngster from radical associated with the London club.

Truppen till avgörandet one Nations League ? ??? Bosnien-Hercegovina Stockholm | 14 november ??? Polen Wroclaw | 17 nov https://t.co/PbV8lwkQZ3

Graham Potter explains determination to telephone up Chelsea youngster

Antwi is 1 of 2 uncapped players selected by Potter for Sweden's upcoming Nations League double-header, alongside Fiorentina guardant Alieu Njie.

The defender's inclusion follows a bid of encouraging performances successful France, wherever helium has rapidly established himself successful Hugo Oliveira's plans.

Potter explained that an wounded to Bologna right-back Emil Holm had created an accidental to measure Antwi astatine elder planetary level.

"Genesis has done good with the Under-21 nationalist squad too, and with Emil Holm injured, I've chosen Felix Beijmo arsenic the much experienced option," Potter explained during Wednesday's squad announcement, arsenic reported by Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen.

"Then we person Genesis, with his qualities and his pace."

The erstwhile Brighton & Hove Albion brag besides revealed that helium had spoken to radical acquainted with Antwi's improvement astatine Chelsea.

"I've spoken to radical I cognize astatine Chelsea, and they deliberation highly of him," Potter added.

That appraisal is peculiarly encouraging for the Blues, who person invested respective years successful the defender's development.

Born successful Stockholm, Antwi moved to England erstwhile helium was 11 and joined Chelsea's academy, progressing done the property groups astatine Cobham earlier earning his archetypal elder opportunities.

He made his competitory debut for the London nine against Copenhagen successful the Conference League successful March 2025 and subsequently featured against Djurgarden successful the aforesaid competition.

Chelsea rewarded his advancement with a caller declaration successful September 2025, tying him to the nine until 2028, with an enactment to widen the statement for different 2 years.

However, the determination to nonstop him to Strasbourg this summertime has provided the youngster with a considerably greater level of elder experience.

Antwi initially featured astatine left-back successful the French club's opening league decision against Marseille earlier moving to the close broadside of the defence.

His versatility and athleticism person subsequently helped him clasp a regular spot successful Oliveira's side, including appearances against high-profile opponents specified arsenic Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

Potter acknowledged the worth of that experience, praising the youngster's improvement during his archetypal extended spell successful elder football.

According to the Swedish Football Association, the nationalist squad manager believes that Antwi's performances astatine specified a young property marque him an breathtaking imaginable to measure during the planetary break.

Antwi's advancement offers Chelsea encouragement implicit Strasbourg partnership

Antwi's archetypal elder planetary call-up represents a important milestone for a subordinate who had antecedently represented Sweden astatine younker level, including 5 appearances for the Under-21 side.

It besides provides Chelsea with an encouraging illustration of however their partnership with Strasbourg tin accelerate the improvement of promising academy players.

The French nine recruited 5 players from Chelsea during the summertime transportation window, though their experiences person varied considerably.

Antwi, goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and midfielder Dario Essugo person each established themselves arsenic regular contributors.

Jorgensen has started 9 league matches, making 32 saves, portion Essugo has contributed 2 goals and an assistance successful 7 appearances.

By contrast, erstwhile Chelsea youngsters Deivid Washington and Omari Kellyman, who joined Strasbourg connected imperishable deals, person hardly featured.

Washington has yet to marque a competitory quality this season, portion Kellyman has played lone six minutes.

Those differences underline the varied experiences of players arriving successful France done the two clubs' shared ownership structure.

For Antwi, however, the determination has already delivered an important idiosyncratic breakthrough.

Sweden volition big Bosnia and Herzegovina connected November 14 earlier travelling to look Poland 3 days later, with Potter's broadside starring their Nations League group.

A triumph against Bosnia would unafraid promotion to League A, giving the Chelsea youngster the accidental to beryllium progressive successful an important planetary occasion.

Antwi has not yet made his elder Sweden debut, but his enactment provides designation of the advancement helium has made since leaving Stamford Bridge successful hunt of regular football.

For Chelsea, the adjacent signifier volition beryllium monitoring whether helium tin support that improvement passim the remainder of his indebtedness spell and instrumentality to London with a stronger lawsuit for first-team opportunities.