Why I rejected Chelsea for French club - 19-year-old Nigeria star

Nigerian forward Hafiz Ibrahim has explained why he turned down a potential move to Chelsea despite encouragement from England international Raheem Sterling.

The 19-year-old had caught the attention of several top European clubs with his impressive performances at the Viareggio Cup in Italy, where he scored 10 goals in just six matches.

Ibrahim flew to London for a trial with Chelsea, influenced by a video call from Sterling, who believed the club would be a great environment for him to grow.

He said, "Sterling is a great guy. He was supportive and encouraging. He told me that Chelsea would be a great environment for me to grow and improve as a player."

However, Ibrahim ultimately decided against joining Chelsea, citing concerns that he wasn't ready for such a big move.

"The decision was based on a few factors, mainly, I felt that I wasn’t quite ready for such a big move. Chelsea is a huge club, and I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared to take on the challenge," he added.

Instead, Ibrahim signed with Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims, where he believes he has found the ideal environment to develop his skills.

"Reims is a club with a great tradition and a strong focus on developing young talent, which really appealed to me," he said.

Ibrahim has been impressive in France, scoring nine goals in nine appearances for the Reims B team and contributing a goal and two assists in seven senior matches.