The relationship between Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool became strained and they refused to allow opposing scouts to attend youth games(YAJING)

Tensions between Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United at academy level have resulted in scouts from all three teams being denied access to each other's youth games, The Athletic has reported.

Liverpool and Manchester United scouts are understood to have requested permission to travel to Chelsea's Cobham training centre to watch the youth team play last month, but were turned down. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect the relationship between the two parties, said the situation surrounding the scouting was mutually reinforcing.

A Chelsea source insisted that Blues scouts had applied to watch the game in Kirkby but had been turned down, while Merseyside sources said that no application had been turned down so far this season, but added that it was indeed likely that Chelsea scouts would be turned down if they did apply. Because scouts have equal access to youth teams.

Multiple sources also said Chelsea were the first to restrict other scouts from watching their youth team, but Chelsea denied this was the case.

In any case, Chelsea's decision is seen as a response to the summer loss of 16-year-old attacker Leo N 'Gumoha, regarded as one of the most talented players Chelsea have produced in recent years, and Manchester United had also tried to sign the winger. Ngumoha's transfer from Chelsea to Liverpool was fraught with controversy, although he eventually passed the Premier League's five-step vetting process.

At present, the three clubs have not issued a formal ban on each other's scouts. According to the Premier League's rules on youth training, clubs should allow scouts from other clubs to attend academy matches, but the scouts must inform the two clubs involved by noon on the last working day before the match and show valid identification.

The source also revealed that representatives of the three clubs held talks last week aimed at resolving the issue, but no agreement has been reached. During this time, other club personnel were still allowed into the academy to watch matches.