Chelsea close in on Aston Villa attacker transfer as medical update emerges
Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal to sign Aston Villa youngster Omari Kellyman this summer, according to David Ornstein.
The Athletic journalist reported [22 June] that the Blues are set to pay £19million for the 18-year-old forward, who has made just six senior appearances for Villa.
It is understood that the young striker has yet to formalise personal terms with the club and still needs to complete a medical before any deal is completed at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea in talks to sign Aston Villa gem Omari Kellyman
Kellyman is one of the biggest prospects currently at Villa Park, joining the likes of Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Finley Munroe on the fringes of the first team towards the end of last season.
He was handed opportunities in both the Premier League and Europa Conference League, the youngster accumulated 153 senior minutes, even completing 90 minutes in one of the Europa Conference League qualification games.
Fans will be very disappointed to see the young talent being linked with a move away from Villa Park, especially to Chelsea, who has a knack for signing exciting prospects in their academy.
Kellyman is exactly that, having scored seven goals in the Premier League 2 last season, which caused Emery to promote him to the first-team set-up on a regular basis.
Although his game time was limited, like many youngsters, the manager and hierarchy will have felt he was gaining enough experience alongside some of the more accomplished players in the squad.
However, with PSR potentially an issue at Villa Park this summer, the profit from selling the 18-year-old for £19million will certainly help balance the books and help the club keep some of the more important players.
Kellyman will be a player to keep an eye on as he develops his style of football on the pitch, though Villa fans will need to watch from a distance if his move to Chelsea goes through.
In other Aston Villa news, one of Unai Emery’s stars must be used at EURO 2024 after an international humiliation.
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