Notts County have made a move for Chelsea starlet Ishe Samuels-Smith after missing out on the signing of Southend United‘s Harry Boyes.
The Magpies lost out to League Two newcomers York City in the race to sign the 24-year-old full-back following his outstanding campaign at Roots Hall, which ended in the Shrimpers claiming victory in the FA Trophy final.
County Land On Chelsea Loan
Now, having missed out on a key target to play on the left side of their back five system, Notts County have now found a potential alternative to Boyes in the form of Ishe Samuels-Smith.
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, the Magpies have entered ‘advanced talks’ with Premier League side Chelsea over a potential loan deal for the defender.
The former Everton academy star moved to Blues’ setup in 2023, and finally was handed his first-ever senior action across a season-long loan at Swansea City.
However, the 20-year-old struggled to find his place in the Jacks’ setup behind the near-ever-present Josh Tymon, which meant Samuels-Smith was limited to just eight appearances total in South Wales.
His campaign ended prematurely with a muscle injury in April forcing him to return to Stamford Bridge, having moved back to West London in the summer after being sold to Strasbourg a month before his loan out to Swansea.
A left-sided defender has emerged as a possible priority for County heading into the season amid speculation around Jodi Jones’ future at Meadow Lane, with Martin Paterson refusing to comment on whether any interest has emerged from the 28-year-old.
Depth Needed Regardless
Whether or not the speculation around Jodi Jones being sold with just one year left on his deal is true, adding further options at left-wing back should be Notts County’s recruitment focus until they have two capable options in the position.
As it stands, it is just the Maltese international who can properly play the position, and while new signing Jack Evans could certainly put a shift in if called upon, depending on him across the whole season may cause issues.
Ishe Samuels-Smith may not have had the best time at Swansea City, but a drop down into League One could be the ideal path forward in his career, having already established himself as a regular in the Chelsea academy squads over the past few years.
Also offering versatility, which could come in handy if Jacob Bedeau is injured or forced to play in a different role in the back three, this is a sensible transfer for County to make, and should play a big role in helping the Magpies try and establish themselves in League One.
