Chelsea defender jets out for medical after deal agreed
Chelsea defender Ishe Samuels-Smith has jetted out for a Strasbourg medical after agreeing a £6.9million move including add-ons, sources have told Football Insider.
The highly-rated left-back, who can also play at centre-back, has been in talks with Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg for several weeks and visited the club’s training ground earlier this month.
The 19-year-old has flown to Austria, where Strasbourg are playing a behind-closed doors friendly to undergo a medical and finalise the move to the Ligue 1 club.
He has agreed the terms of a five-year contract.
Samuels-Smith, who joined Chelsea from Everton in 2023, did not make a first-team appearance for in West London, but he has impressed for the club’s youth sides and for England’s Under-18s and Under-19s.
Chelsea sell fringe player to fund transfer push
Last week (22 July), Football Insider exclusively revealed that Chelsea are looking to sell players before they make any more signings.
Sources say that if the Blues can find buyers for enough of the unwanted members of their squad, then they could still go back into the transfer market to bolster their ranks further.
On Tuesday (29 July), Chelsea managed to sell outcast Joao Felix to Al-Nassr for £43.7m, and now they look to have offloaded another one of their fringe players.
Samuels-Smith completed his £4m move to Stamford Bridge two years ago, and will make the West London side £3m in profit upon his exit, despite not playing a single senior game for the club.
‘Aston Villa make transfer decision on Chelsea target’
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are reportedly extremely reluctant to entertain offers for Morgan Rogers despite Chelsea’s interest.
That is according to their former chief scout Mick Brown, who claims that the 23-year-old is not on Unai Emery’s list of available players this summer.
This comes after Football Insider exclusively revealed on 29 July that Chelsea have made an offer for Rogers with two players included in the deal.
Sources say they have offered Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo as well as a cash sum to Villa in part-exchange for the England international.
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