The Dasilva siblings, who once joined Chelsea ten years ago, have since pursued individual paths within their respective new clubs. What has become of the three blood brothers who were once acquired by Chelsea?
In 2012, Chelsea caused a stir by recruiting three young players from Luton Town in a deal worth £1 million. These were the three Dasilva siblings: Jay Dasilva, then 13 years old, and the twin pair Rio Dasilva and Cole Dasilva, both 12 years old. The signing of three players in the same deal was unprecedented.
Gregg Broughton, head of Luton’s youth team, referred to this trio as “unique” and asserted that they stood out the most among their peers at the time. At that juncture, Jay was an attacking midfielder, drawing comparisons to Manchester City legend David Silva despite his tender age. Cole played in both defensive and midfield positions, whereas Rio operated as a forward. Regrettably, none of the three managed to break into Chelsea’s first team.
At the youth level, Jay contributed to The Blues’ triumphs in the FA Youth Cup thrice and the UEFA Youth League twice. Jay emerged as the most promising player among the siblings but never received an opportunity to play for Chelsea’s first team. Rio and Cole later had chances to play alongside stars like Declan Rice and Mason Mount during their time in the youth teams. However, the twin duo only featured for Chelsea’s U16, U19, and U21 squads, never making it to the first team.
In 2017, Jay departed Stamford Bridge, joining Bristol City after a loan spell at Charlton. He quickly became one of the standout left-backs in the Championship before moving to Coventry last summer.
Following their exits from Chelsea, Rio and Cole did not pursue professional careers actively. Rio only played for Chelsea’s U16 team before departing in 2016. After stints with Dunstable, Hitchin, and Bedford, Rio signed with Kempston Rovers in the 8th tier. Cole stayed with The Blues longer, winning the U18 Premier League, FA Youth Cup, and UEFA Youth League with the youth team.
In 2018, Brentford signed him, but he stayed briefly before moving to Croatia, representing HNK Sibenik in 2021. Like Rio, he predominantly played for semi-professional clubs, notably Oxford City and Hemel Hempstead in the 6th tier.
Joining Chelsea marked a significant turning point for the three siblings. In an interview, Rio shared that all three struggled to find comfort in the demanding environment of The Blues’ academy. The competition there was fierce, in stark contrast to a club playing in England’s 5th tier like Luton at the time.
One of the most peculiar transfer sagas in English football unfortunately did not unfold as expected.