Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign an exciting new teenager at the end of the season, according to a reliable journalist.
Chelsea transfer news
The Blues have nine squad members who are aged 20 or under as it stands, with some of those who have been able to force their way into the first-team fold being the likes of Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia, despite his injury struggles since joining.
Todd Boehly has a track record of recruiting rising stars who he believes could go on to become an integral player for the long-term future of the club, with Mauricio Pochettino having shown that he is willing to give them a chance to prove themselves should they deserve it.
Therefore, any of the club’s transfer targets with a similar profile may well be attracted to the project on offer if they know they will receive a fair opportunity, and AF Darou Salam’s defensive midfielder Pape Daouda Diong has been highlighted as someone of interest.
The Athletic reported that Senegal’s youth international was in attendance at Stamford Bridge for the Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Premier League rivals Newcastle United, and if the following update is to be believed, the 17-year-old has since been in talks to join in the summer.
Chelsea set to land Diong
Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea have now completed a deal to sign Diong, with the midfielder set to turn 18 next summer and join the ongoing Stamford Bridge project.
He wrote: "Chelsea have completed deal to sign Senegal U17 midfielder Pape Daouda Diong, as revealed two weeks ago. Born in 2006, Pape will turn 18 in the summer and he will become part of Chelsea project. Diong was at Stamford Bridge just two weeks ago."
Diong could be a star in the making
Earlier this year, Diong represented his country in all four games during the FIFA U17s World Cup before they got knocked out of the competition in the last 16, which shows that he is doing enough at club level to get the individual recognition that he deserves (Transfermarkt – Diong statistics).
Standing at 6 foot 2, Pochettino’s target could also add a completely different dimension to the manager’s options in the centre of the park in the long run with his height, regardless of whether he would be a regular feature of the starting line-up or an impact substitute from the bench.
Furthermore, the teenager even has the versatility to operate slightly higher up as a central midfielder alongside in his usual role sitting just in front of the backline, so his ability to provide cover in another position outside of his own makes him an even more attractive prospect.
Chelsea’s new ownership are already planning to get fresh young faces through the doors in the form of the likes of Kendry Paez who is expected to join in 2025, so it may prove to be another coup if Diong is the next to be added to that list of incomings in the near future, as is set to be the case.