Chelsea have top-class youngsters here, there and everywhere in English football and beyond.
While Reece James is doing the business in the famous blue jersey right now, the club's famous loan system is ensuring that other young stars are getting game time elsewhere.
It's honestly scary to think that the Blues can casually just recall Levi Colwill from what was a truly eye-catching season out on loan with Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Englishman has been handed a lucrative six-year contract and is set to play a big role at the club going forward under Mauricio Pochettino.
So much quality from Chelsea's academy
Marry that to Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham both flying high in Serie A having come through the Chelsea academy and you'd be forgiven for getting the feeling that all roads lead back to Stamford Bridge.
In fact, there are so many links to the all-conquering Chelsea academy that we've decided to pause for a second and wonder just how many fingerprints their youth system has left all over the modern game.
The answer, in case you're wondering, is absolutely tonnes with Transfermarkt's database on the most valuable players to have come through the Chelsea academy making for an incredible list of success stories.
Best XI of players who featured in Chelsea's youth ranks
Such was the level of star quality that our imagination got the better of us and we decided to draw up what we consider to be the best XI of current players who have come through Chelsea's youth system.
It's impossible to keep track of every single footballer's youth career, so we're leaning into Transfermarkt's records here with any player who came through the system - as opposed to needing to have graduated or made a first-appearance for Chelsea - qualifying for selection.
Got it? Right then, well, prepare to be taken aback by just how much the Chelsea academy has left an impact on English football and beyond by checking out their best XI of youth products below:
GK: Neil Etheridge
Ok, don't judge the XI by the goalkeeper because this is admittedly the weakest position in the team, but Etheridge - who has been capped 73 times for the Philippines - still performed soundly in the Premier League with Cardiff City.
Now in his 30s, Etheridge currently represents Championship outfit Birmingham City.
RWB: Reece James
James joined Chelsea at the age of eight. He progressed through the youth ranks and made his debut for the club in 2019 following a highly successful loan spell with Wigan Athletic.
The Englishman has had his fair share of injury problems in recent times but is one of the world's best right-backs when fully fit.
James has made 147 appearances for Chelsea and has represented his country on 15 occasions at the time of writing.
CB: Fikayo Tomori
Tomori's Chelsea career might have ended on a whimper, but he's gone from strength-to-strength since joining AC Milan for £25m in 2021.
The 25-year-old quickly established himself as a regular for the Italian club. He has made over 100 appearances for I Rossoneri since the move.
He played a pivotal role as AC Milan won the Serie A title in 2022. His performances saw him named in the Serie A Team of the Year.
CB: Andreas Christensen
Christensen might only have played in Chelsea's youth ranks at the back end of his development, but he nevertheless fought through the club's loan system to become a regular for the Blues.
The Danish defender made 161 appearances for the club and helped them to five trophies before departing for Barcelona in 2022.
CB: Levi Colwill
Colwill was outstanding for Brighton & Hove Albion in the 2022/23 season. The Englishman played 22 times as Brighton secured a sixth place finish in the Premier League and earned them a Europa League berth.
There were doubts surrounding Colwill's future this summer but he has decided to sign a new deal at Chelsea.
The Englishman, who joined Chelsea on his ninth birthday, has penned a six-year contract with the club.
"It’s always been an easy decision," Colwill told Chelsea's official website. "As I’ve grown up, all I’ve known is Chelsea.
"I have spoken to the gaffer, and he has given me assurances, and given me that trust that I needed. Just with simple things like talking to me, making me feel like not just a player, but also a person. It has made a big difference.
"He pushes us hard, makes sure we do run, but also makes sure we do everything correctly and professional. That is the standards we need at Chelsea, as one of the biggest clubs in the world."
LWB: Nathan Ake
Ake has emerged into one of the Premier League's best defenders in recent years.
The Dutchman joined Chelsea in 2012 at the age of 15 and departed five years later.
Ake made the £41m to City in 2020 following an impressive spell at Bournemouth. After a slow start, the versatile defender is now a pivotal player under Pep Guardiola. He was integral as City won a historic treble in the 2022/23 campaign.
CDM: Declan Rice
Rice joined Chelsea at the age of seven but did not make the grade. He was released at the age of 14 and joined West Ham United soon after.
There must be a few members of Chelsea's youth staff kicking themselves for letting Rice go because he's gone onto become one of the first names on England's team-sheet and a truly top-class holding midfielder.
Rice became the most expensive English player ever this summer when he joined Chelsea's London rivals, Arsenal, in a £105m deal.
CM: Conor Gallagher
Gallagher established himself as a regular at Chelsea in the 2022/23 season following a series of successful loan spells.
Gallagher was even compared to Frank Lampard during his time under Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace.
"Conor has this passion for the game when he is on the field like a Ray Parlour, but I would say he has maybe the quality finishing of a Frank Lampard," Vieira said in 2021, per the Evening Standard.
"It is a manager's dream to have a player like Conor because when he is on the field, he will give everything. He is focused, concentrated and will always give his best. This is something that for me is really important."
The box-to-box midfielder joined the club at the age of eight but his lengthy spell at the club could come to an end soon, with multiple Premier League clubs interested in acquiring his services.
CM: Mason Mount
Much like James, Mount's step up from Championship footballer to Premier League baller just served to underline his electric skills and ability.
His time at Chelsea came to an end in 2023 when he joined Manchester United in a £55m move.
The Englishman scored 33 times in 195 appearances for The Blues. He won three trophies with the club, including the Champions League in 2021.
CAM: Jamal Musiala
Musiala burst onto the scene with Bayern Munich in 2020 and is now considered one of the very best young players in world football.
The German has scored 31 times for the club and helped them to nine trophies - including four consecutive Bundesliga titles - at the time of writing.
Some may not know that Musiala spent much of his youth career at Chelsea. Musiala was in The Blues' youth ranks before moving back to Germany in 2019.
Valued at €110m, he is currently the seventh most valuable player in world football. The one that got away...
ST: Tammy Abraham
Should Chelsea have held onto Abraham as opposed to signing Romelu Lukaku in 2021?
They probably should have given Abraham's success in Italy and Lukaku's woes at Stamford Bridge.
Abraham has scored 36 times in 107 games for Roma and was pivotal in their UEFA Europa Conference League triumph in 2022.
Bench: Jamal Blackman, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Michael Olise and Armando Broja
Chalobah battled his way into Chelsea's first team and was rewarded with a new five-year deal in 2021.
Chelsea may regret letting Guehi go. The combative defender has thrived since making the £18 million move to Crystal Palace in 2021.
Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi may not have fulfilled their lofty potential at the time of writing but have still forged successful careers for themselves. The former recently made the move to AC Milan, where he will team up with Tomori once more.
Olise spent six years at Chelsea before leaving at the age of 14. Now 21, he is impressing at Crystal Palace and could be in line for a big move.
While Broja is a promising forward who could be the answer to Chelsea's striker woes. The Albanian international missed much of the 2022/23 season after sustaining a serious injury during the international break for the 2022 World Cup.
Still just 21 years old, he will be looking to make up for lost time and bang in the goals in a blue shirt.
An incredible batch of talent
Ok, so, give or take the goalkeeping options, it's fair to say that Chelsea have put on a conveyor belt of youth talent that either themselves or clubs around the world have been able to make the most of.
Besides, it's a mind-boggling testament to all the incredible options that we had on our plate that there wasn't even room for the likes of Tino Livramento, Tariq Lamptey, Jeremie Boga, Bertrand Traore and Billy Gilmour on the bench.
So, no matter where the uncertain future of Chelsea Football Club takes them in the coming months and years, they can at least rest easy knowing that they've clearly done something right with their academy system.