TRANSFER GOSSIP: Who Is-lam Feruz?

Friend of LOV, Marc Iles, reported last week that Bolton Wanderers were about to sign 19 year old Chelsea striker Islam Feruz on loan.

The rumour mill has gone a bit quiet since then, but the long-mooted loan between the clubs which was reportedly part of the Gary Cahill transfer seems like it may be about to happen given Wanderers' paucity of choice in the attacking department.

Fortunately for us, there is loads of information available regarding the lad, who spent most of his youth career with Scottish Premier League team Celtic. He moved down South to Chelsea in September 2011 after rejecting a professional contract with the Scottish club. He made his debut aged just 14, when he made a sub appearance in Tommy Burns' memorial match. In January 2011, it was reported that Manchester City had held talks with Feruz amid speculation that he was a target for several English clubs.

Later that year, the player was linked with a move to Chelsea - then-Celtic manager Neil Lennon even going as far as saying that the player had gone AWOL ahead of a prospective transfer. Feruz officially moved to Chelsea in September 2011, after rejecting a professional contract at Celtic for a compensation fee of only £300,000.

He made his Chelsea first team debut against a Malaysia League XI in July 2013 coming on as a substitute for Kevin De Bruyne but after half time he was replaced by André Schürrle. In order to gain more experience he was sent on loan to OFI Crete, managed by Gennaro Gattuso in 2014, then going on to spend time training with Cardiff City in January 2015.

His most recent spell away from Stamford Bridge came on loan to Bolton's fellow Championship outfit Blackpool without too much success.

A speedy and inventive forward, he will likely be used as a direct replacement for the injured Zach Clough, should the deal be done. God only knows how Neil Lennon will juggle all these loan players, but given the player's potential this is one that I hope comes off.

He could be a gem, or he could be another player hoarded by Chelsea to the detriment of their career, along the lines of Gael Kakuta - 'member him?