Football: Watch Chelsea's Sturridge Shine

Having already mentioned our admiration of England youth striker Daniel Sturridge here several times over in recent years we were delighted to discover yesterday that he's on his way to the capital from Manchester City. Chelsea have been keeping an eye on him for some time and, given an expected tribunal fee between £3m and £10m we think he could turn out to be a bargain given the £17m that's been required to secure each of former Blue Glen Johnson and Roque Santa Cruz this week and the vast sums that were supposed to have been spent by Arsenal on Theo Walcott, who we have always thought was not as good as Sturridge. In fact, we don't think Theo's as good as Aaron Lennon, either, but we digress.

Of Chelsea's pair of current first choice strikers, Sturridge's style has more in common with Nicolas Anelka, as can be seen in his first goal for former club Manchester City where he controls a deep corner on his right thigh before instantaneously lifting a pinpoint volley beyond the stranded keeper with his "wrong" (left) foot in a manner somewhat reminiscent of Glenn Hoddle's famous goal at Watford all those years ago. Sturridge is also quite strong and decent in the air, though obviously he needs to learn well as an understudy to his internationally famous colleagues if he's going to go one better than the equally talented once City starlet Shaun Wright-Phillips and really stamp his authority on the Chelsea first team.

Besides the Londonist stamp of approval, Sturridge can claim to be the first player to score in the FA Youth Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League in the same season and he is one of only two players to be the leading goalscorer and voted Most Valuable Player at the global U15 Nike Cup club tournament (the other being one Carlos Tevez). He's been a prolific marksman in FA Youth Cup campaigns, a scorer against the likes of Italy and Holland at youth international level and last season also found time to notch four goals, with three assists, in sixteen, mostly substitute appearances for City. This is also not the first time he's been involved in a fee tribunal. City were ordered by a Football League committee to pay Coventry up to £230,000 for his registration when they acquired his playing rights as a thirteen year old.

We will certainly be following his progress, along with our other tips for the top, West Ham's James Tomkins and Junior Stanislas, with great interest.