Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel says he was keen to keep hold of both Tino Anjorin and Billy Gilmour in his first-team squad, rather than allowing them to leave on loan during the January transfer window.

Gilmour, in particular, was linked with a temporary move away from Stamford Bridge after being left out of Tuchel’s first two matchday squads. However, the German revealed he was very impressed by both the Scotland international and Anjorin’s performances in training:

“We decided to keep Tino Anjorin and Billy Gilmour with the group because I like a lot of what I see from the two guys. Billy is very, very close (to the side) in terms of quality, work ethic and personality. He is very, very close.”

It’s not surprising that Tuchel has had his head turned down by the ability of the two teenagers. Gilmour should arguably have been getting more game time following his return from a knee injury in November, while Anjorin has impressed in the Champions League this season.

Whether we’ll see either of them on the bench, or even starting for the first team in upcoming matches, it remains to be seen, but the signs are promising for the pair.