Chelsea set £12 million price tag on forgotten loanee as they eye more player sales this summer - Reports
Chelsea have reportedly made Welsh defender Ethan Ampadu available for transfer this summer. According to the Evening Standard, the Blues have placed an asking price of £12 million for the 22-year-old, who spent the last season on loan at Serie A side Spezia.
Chelsea signed Ampadu from Exeter City in July 2017. He went on to make his debut in an EFL Cup third-round fixture against Nottingham Forest in September, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to play for the club. He made his Premier League debut in December, coming off the bench against Huddersfield Town.
Ampadu has the versatility to play as a centre-back as well as a defensive midfielder. He spent the 2019-20 season on loan at RB Leipzig and the 2020-21 season with Sheffield United, before successive loan spells in Serie A with Venezia and Spezia respectively. He has also made over 43 appearances for Wales.
According to the Evening Standard report, there is interest from clubs in Spain and Italy, while Premier League clubs are also rumoured to be in the mix. His contract with Chelsea is set to expire in 2024.
The Blues continue to clearout their squad, which was bloated with over 30 players last season. They have already accepted deals for Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech, Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz, while Mason Mount is also close to joining Manchester United. N'Golo Kante has also left as a free agent, while Cesar Azpilicueta is close to joining Inter Milan.
Chelsea receive boost in pursuit of Premier League star
Chelsea are close to reaching an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion for Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Writing in his CaughtOffside column, journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Blues are the only club currently in negotiation with Caicedo. He added that an agreement could be reached once the London side finish their outgoing deals.
He wrote:
“There are no changes to previous updates. Chelsea want Caicedo, they’re gonna push to sign him. I can’t predict the future but the player is only negotiating with Chelsea at this stage. Everything is calm with the Brighton player at the moment. No need for panic.”
New manager Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to add to his midfield. They have already lost N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic in this window.
Fans are already exited by the prospect of Caicedo playing alongside club-record signing Enzo Fernandez in midfield. The Blues have already made an offer of £60 million for the Ecuadorian, which has been rejected. The Seagulls value the player closer to £100 million.