Chelsea on the verge of four important summer transfers

News

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Chelsea are reportedly close to finalising loan exits for academy quartet Reggie Walsh, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Shumaira Mheuka and Ishe Samuels-Smith.

The Blues have opted against utilising the EFL loan market to its maximum potential in recent years, but they have changed their transfer approach this summer and they have prioritised sending their talented youngsters out on loan in order to fast-track their development.

Current ETV

Ishé Samuels-Smith

D (CL)

Chelsea

Ishé Samuels-Smith

D (CL)

Chelsea

€1.1M

ETV Range

€0.9M - €1.4M

View full profile

So far this summer, Max Merrick (Hartlepool), Kaiden Wilson (Rochdale), Hudson Sands (Dulwich Hamlet) and Ollie Harrison (AFC Wimbledon) have all left the west London giants to join lower-league clubs on temporary deals. Meanwhile, Jesse Derry, Genesis Antwi and Harrison Murray-Campbell, three of Chelsea’s best-performing academy players last season, have left England to join Sporting CP, Strasbourg and KV Kortrijk on loan respectively.

Following the club’s return from their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, Chelsea are set to ramp up transfer talks and they are expected to soon announce the €25 million signing of Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria.

However, their priority is to finalise a number of player exits, with Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Guiu and Liam Delap among the first-team stars who are expected to depart Stamford Bridge before the end of Transfer Deadline Day on 1 September.

In addition, Chelsea are also keen to ensure they agree loan deals for a number of youngsters, and Walsh, Kavuma-McQueen, Mheuka and Samuels-Smith are all close to departing the club on a temporary basis.

Chelsea close to four deals

As per BBC Sport, Walsh is on the verge of joining Wigan Athletic, Kavuma-McQueen is set to be unveiled as a Portsmouth player this week, and Mheuka is expected to be sent on loan once his contract extension is finalised. It’s understood that he has “broadly agreed” terms with the Blues, and a loan transfer will therefore soon take place.

Meanwhile, Football.London have confirmed that Samuels-Smith will join Notts County on a straight loan deal. The deal has been fully agreed between the two clubs, and personal terms have also been finalised.

Walsh and Kavuma-McQueen were both selected to travel on pre-season tour with Chelsea’s first-team squad by new manager Xabi Alonso, but Mheuka and Samuels-Smith were left at home amid lengthy transfer talks to leave the Blues on loan.

Walsh, Kavuma-McQueen and Mheuka have all made their competitive debuts for Chelsea’s first-team, but the 2026-27 season will be their first out on loan. Samuels-Smith, on the other hand, spent last year on loan at Swansea City, but he struggled for game time and only made eight appearances across all competitions.