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TRANSFERS
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Chelsea complete successful HIJACK of Crystal Palace star - Fabrizio Romano
Tom Weber
- Updated: 25 Jul 2025 10:02 BST
- 4 min read
News
Chelsea have successfully beaten as many as eight clubs to the signing of Crystal Palace youngster Jesse Derry, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues have one of English football's best academies, and they are set to bolster its ranks with the signing of the 18-year-old winger. Derry has agreed to join Chelsea, and his medical in West London will take place today, Friday.
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the wonderkid initially looked set to move to Germany, but Chelsea managed to swoop in and hijack the deal. The Italian states the Stamford Bridge club beat eight European sides to his signature.
Derry, whose father Shaun spent five years at Crystal Palace across two stints, did not make a senior appearance for the Eagles and reportedly refused to sign a professional contract with the club in February.
This presumably means that Chelsea will snap him up on a free transfer this summer. Derry scored a whopping 20 goals and provided five assists for Palace's U18s, but only managed one assist in 11 games for the U21s.
Chelsea sign another wonderkid
Signing Derry will further reinforce Chelsea's transfer policy of signing wonderkids, with the Blues' strategy increasingly bearing fruit. A deal for the 18-year-old is likely seen as a win-win scenario.
He either develops to the point where he can be integrated into Enzo Maresca's squad, or he is sold on at a profit if he indeed joins the Blues on a free transfer.
Given that the England U19 international did not make a senior appearance at Palace, he is likely to initially spend time with Chelsea's youth teams rather than the seniors.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner did call Derry up to first-team training for the first time last year, though, so senior football isn't entirely unfamiliar to the baby-faced winger who looks and plays like a young Jack Grealish - and who likes to mimic Cole Palmer's celebration.
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