Chelsea have completed the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne just after the winter transfer window closed. A France youth international, he moves to the Blues in a reported €15m (£12.4m) deal, becoming Chelsea’s first permanent signing of the window.
A product of Saint-Etienne’s academy, Amougou made his senior debut in the second division last season, and established himself as a regular starter earlier this campaign. But he has played only a limited role since October, and was missing from Saint-Etienne’s 4-1 loss to Lille over the weekend, presumably to protect his transfer.
The teenager instead will train with Chelsea’s first team and not join sister club in France, Strasbourg, as had been suggested. Amougou said: “It’s an honour to sign for a big club like Chelsea. “They believe in young players and have a great development process.
Although competition for midfield positions is still fierce at Stamford Bridge, the arrival of Amougou adds depth after Cesare Casadei and Renato Veiga left for Torino and Juventus, respectively. Having not played many minutes at senior level, the talented midfielder will be looking to grasp opportunities in cup competitions and the Europa Conference League.
