Chelsea Completes Signing Of 18-Year-Old Midfielder, Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa

Chelsea has signed attacking midfielder, Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa on a six-year contract.

The 18-year-old forward joined Chelsea in a deal worth up to £19 million ($24.02m).

Kellyman, who has played six first-team games for Aston Villa since joining from Derby County in 2022, is also an England youth international.

Kellyman expressed his excitement about joining Chelsea, a club with a rich history, and shared his hopes of winning games and trophies. He also aims to become a key player for the club.

‘It is fantastic to be standing here as a Chelsea player. It’s a massive club with an amazing history, so it is great to join.

‘It is a dream come true for sure. I’m buzzing to have put on the shirt and can’t wait to get started.. I want to be successful in the Chelsea shirt, win games and hopefully lift trophies.

“Hopefully, I can become one of the faces on the side of the stadium. I want to become a big player for this club,” Kellyman said.

Omari Kellyman began his career at Derby County, spending ten years there before moving to Aston Villa in 2022.

He made his professional debut for Villa in August 2023 during a 3-0 win over Hibernian in the Europa Conference League.

The 18-year-old played for Villa’s Under-18s and Under-21s, earning a nomination for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award.

He was part of Villa’s pre-season tour in the United States last summer and made five more senior appearances, including Premier League matches against Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

This signing follows another deal between Chelsea and Villa this week, where Dutch defender Ian Maatsen moved from Chelsea to Villa for a reported £37.5 million fee.

Omari Kellyman is the second signing since Enzo Maresca became Chelsea head coach.

This comes weeks after Fulham announced that it’s defender, Tosin Adarabioyo was leaving the club ahead of his move to Chelsea.