• Mathis Amougou's arrival at Chelsea is announced the day after the transfer market closes.
• Amougou is estimated to have cost around €15 million.
• A 19-year-old defensive midfielder has joined the growing number of athletes who have signed long-term contracts.
Nearly a day after the transfer market closed, Chelsea announced that they have signed Mathis Amougou, a midfielder from Ligue 1 team Saint-Etienne.
The agreement for Amougou, a 19-year-old youth international from France, caught many off guard when the news of the transfer was announced on Monday afternoon. The academy graduate from Saint-Etienne was a frequent player for the first-team at the beginning of the season after his debut in the lower division last year, but has been moved to a substitute position since October.
Amougou missed Saint-Etienne's 4-1 loss to Lille on Saturday completely, possibly considering his upcoming transfer to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea has not verified the transfer fee for the teenager, but numerous sources suggest it is around €15m (£12.4m) - marking the club's initial permanent signing of the winter window. The Blues have indicated, however, that Amougou will start training with the first-team squad and will not be going to sister club Strasbourg, as previously thought.
"I'm really delighted," Amougou shared with the club's channels. "It's a privilege for me to join a prestigious club like Chelsea." "They have faith in young athletes, and the method they use to nurture our growth is excellent."
It remains to be seen whether the France Under-19 international can make his way into a midfield filled with two players who were signed for over £100m, along with Cole Palmer.
The Blues might not have brought in as many players as expected after being associated with names like Alejandro Garnacho for a significant part of the window, yet they approved the exits of Cesare Casadei and Renato Veiga to the Turin teams of Torino and Juventus, respectively. These departures create space in the periphery of the club's roster, allowing players to receive consistent playing time in the Europa Conference League and domestic cup tournaments.
Amougou needs senior minutes in any competition that he can participate in. Over the course of his career, the gifted teenager has played for Saint-Etienne less than 1,000 times. In contrast, despite serious injury concerns, Wesley Fofana, another graduate of the French club's academy, has seen more playing time this season alone.
Comments