Chelsea have reportedly agreed terms to sign Brighton & Hove Albion talent Zak Sturge, with the Blues beating the likes of Leeds United and Tottenham to the teenager’s signature.
According to the Daily Mail, the west London side have won the race for the 18-year-old left-back, with Chelsea beating Premier League and European competition for the England youth international, who left the Seagulls at the end of last season.
Sturge becomes Chelsea’s second major academy signing of the summer after the two-time UEFA Champions League winners snapped up highly-rated Arsenal talent Omari Hutchinson as the Premier League giants look to bolster their U-23 options for next season.
Chelsea’s development squads have been some of the best in recent years at youth level, and the club have now finally started to integrate some of their most promising youth talents into the first team, with Mason Mount and Reece James two of Thomas Tuchel’s most important players after coming through the academy.
Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori were also hugely prominent in Frank Lampard’s first season at Chelsea in the 2019/20 season, and Sturge could soon find himself on a similar path following the defender’s arrival in the English capital, much to the dismay of both Leeds and Tottenham.
Indeed, Sturge is already a regular for England at youth level and was involved on numerous occasions for Brighton’s senior squad last season, yet moving to Chelsea is a good move for the teenage defender, who could develop well in west London even though Leeds or Tottenham could have offered the youngster more immediate first-team opportunities.
CHELSEA SIGNING STURGE IS A BLOW FOR LEEDS AND TOTTENHAM
One of Brighton’s most exciting academy talents in recent years, Sturge is seemingly primed to become a Premier League superstar one day, and Chelsea have done well to beat their rivals in Leeds and Tottenham to the defender’s signature.
After all, the Blues have one of the best development programmes in Europe, and even if Sturge doesn’t break into the Chelsea first-team, there’s a good chance that the fullback will make it at another top club in England or on the continent should he continue to flourish with the west London side.
