OFFICIAL: Chelsea sign record-breaking forward

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 4 Jul 2025 10:02 BST
• 4 min read

News

Chelsea have completed a move to sign a record-breaking forward player, with the deal having already been made official.

Enzo Maresca’s side are known to be chasing yet another striker to add to the huge squad that the West London outfit have assembled, with various top names linked to the Blues in recent weeks.

Chelsea’s policy under BlueCo has been to focus on young players, and that’s exactly what they have done to snap up 16-year-old Glenavon attacker Chris Atherton.

A Northern Ireland U17 international player, he became the youngest senior footballer in the UK when he turned out for his side aged just 13 and 329 days back in 2022.

He made a total of 32 appearances across all competitions last season and scored one goal.

Now Glenavon have confirmed that he has signed for Chelsea, where he is expected to go into the ranks of the U18 team initially.

Glenavon announced his move to Chelsea on X, stating: “Chris Atherton - blue still the colour.

“We can confirm that academy product Chris Atherton has left the club to sign for Chelsea We wish him the best in his career & hope he and his family won't be strangers at MVP.”

Atherton primarily played as a right winger for Glenavon last season but can also feature off the left.

Fabrizio Romano Chelsea transfer update

While Chelsea have added to their youth ranks, the Stamford Bridge outfit are also considering the possibility of selling Noni Madueke to Arsenal.

“I’m told that in recent hours contact has taken place with the camp of Noni Madueke,” Fabrizio Romano says on YouTube.

“Just to give you my feeling, when people close to the player continue to meet the player, it means that the player could be open to a potential move. It doesn’t mean that Madueke wants to leave Chelsea or that Madueke is done or leaving for Arsenal 100%. It just means that he’s opened door to a potential move to Arsenal. Then it depends what they can and want to offer.

“At the moment, there’s no official bid but this is another case to watch in the upcoming days.”

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