Where are they now? The three brothers who signed for Chelsea in 'historic' deal

It was hailed by Gregg Broughton, the head of youth development at Luton Town, as a "historic" deal in the money-happy world of professional football – but what happened to the Dasilva brothers?

On the afternoon of January 17, 2012, twins Rio and Cole Dasilva, 12, and their 13-year-old sibling Jay would make headlines after joining the ranks at Premier League giants Chelsea.

All three brothers featured for an under-11 team that beat Bayern Munich at the 2009 Aarau Masters final, and from that moment on, clubs began to express an interest in the talented trio from Bedfordshire.

Two years after the triumph over Bayern, Luton were told that the trio "wished to look at other options" following the club's defeat in the 2011 play-offs. Six months later, a move to Stamford Bridge materialised.

At the time, then-National League side Luton said a deal with the Blues could potentially reach £1 million based on whether the brothers would feature for Chelsea's first-team.

"I am hesitant to talk about the boys in the collective term because they have all have wonderful unique attributes," Broughton said. "But this is a historical deal to see three brothers transferred together."

Broughton would later describe the characteristics of Rio, Cole and Jay.

"Jay is a special talent, a fantastic student of the game whose temperament complements his technical ability," he said. "Cole has strong physical attributes and is very comfortable in possession while Rio is a real livewire, whose ability to play in tight areas has always allowed him to shine."

He added: "We never like to lose talented players from the club, but if players are unsettled and wish to look elsewhere, and the deal is right for all parties, then it is the most sensible way to progress."

So, what happened next? 14 years on from the historic deal and all three Dasilva brothers are playing for different clubs after failing to make a senior appearance at Chelsea.

To kick things off, Rio Dasilva left Chelsea in 2016 following a four-year spell. He spent a year at Dunstable Town before joining Southern League Premier Division Central side Hitchin at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

The midfielder, 26, has since played for non-league sides Kempston Rovers, Bedford Town, Barton Rovers and Stotfold. He now plays for Southern League Division One Central side Leighton Town.

Rio's twin brother Cole Dasilva spent six years in the Chelsea academy before joining Brentford B in 2018.

He made 41 appearances and scored seven goals during the 2018-19 campaign, and was a part of the team which won the 2018-19 Middlesex Senior Cup.

Then, after a brief period with Leicester City, he joined Croatian top-flight side HNK Sibenik in 2021 before returning to England a year later with National League South club Oxford City.

Cole, who represented Wales under-21s between 2017 and 2019, has since played for non-league teams Hemel Hempstead Town, Royston Town, Biggleswade Town and Bedford Town.

He now plays in the Southern League Premier Division Central with Bishop's Stortford.

Finally, Jay Dasilva has enjoyed the most successful career by some distance.

While at Chelsea, he failed to make a first-team appearance at Stamford Bridge but lifted two UEFA Youth League titles. He also became one of the only players in history to win three FA Youth Cups.

After spending seven years with the Blues, Jay joined Championship side Bristol City in 2018 following two loan spells at Charlton. He also represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels.

The 27-year-old wing-back signed a four-year deal with Coventry City in 2023 after spending four years at Bristol City. He still plays for the Sky Blues, who currently sit top of the Championship table.

He has made 34 appearances in all competitions this season.

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