Chelsea's Michael Emenalo hits out at Tottenham and claims they've only developed Harry Kane

Emenalo believes Chelsea's academy is much stronger and does not think Spurs deserve their reputation for bringing young players into the first team

Chelsea technical director has hit out at the perception that Tottenham develop their academy players (Getty)

Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo has hit out at Tottenham’s reputation for developing young players by claiming it is all a “hoopla” and that striker Harry Kane is the only real academy product that has come through the ranks.

The 50-year-old Nigerian has defended Chelsea’s reputation for wasting young players and says he is proud of how the outgoing Premier League champions develop their young players, and voiced a clear displeasure with how Spurs are seen when it comes to giving younger footballers a chance in the first team.

“In reality it is just the one key player, Harry Kane,” Emenalo told the Daily Mail. “Dele Alli they bought, Eric Dier they bought; Tom Carroll is a fringe player. So with all the hoopla about Tottenham, it's just the one player.

“So with all the hoopla about Tottenham, it's just the one player so we try to remind them it's not just a Chelsea problem. We want them to be patient because they (the parents) want it quicker than the boys want it or the boys are ready to take it.”

Chelsea’s Academy has enjoyed success in recent years and, after retaining the Uefa Youth League this week, they face Manchester City in the first-leg of the FA Youth Cup final on Friday in their bid to win the competition for the fifth time.

With both Bertrand Traore and Ruben Loftus-Cheek emerging into the first team this season, academy players will have much higher hopes of playing senior football for the club than when former manager Jose Mourinho was in charge. Under the Portuguese, both Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne were allowed to leave and have since grown into key Premier League players, with De Bruyne sealing a £58m transfer to Manchester City and Lukaku expected to leave Everton this summer for a similar fee.

Although both Loftus-Cheek and Traore are expected to be retained by incoming manager Antonio Conte next season, a number of other hopeful prospects face being sent out on loan once again. The reports adds that 20-year-old Danish defender Andreas Christensen will remain with Borussia Monchengladbach for a second season, while decisions over other players will be made in the summer.

“Christensen will be a superb player,” added Emenalo. “I see on a regular basis that Jake Clarke-Salter and Fikayo Tomori are going to be outstanding players.

“They are young and I don't know if they decide to get fat. There's nothing I can do about that. If they continue the way that they are, they will make it because they have great talent, there's no doubt about that.

“There is a co-ordinated effort from everybody to want to make this happen. Not just because it feels good, and it is nice to have a backbone the fans can relate to and support.

Michael Emenalo speaks Jose Mourinho during his reign at Stamford Bridge (Getty)

“But with the investment we are making and where we think the game is going and the competition that we have, you can't just buy your way out of trouble all the time.

“We have a philosophy in the academy to teach them to play the right way, the way we think a big team should play. And ultimately the only way they can play that gives them a chance to play for our first-team.”