Chelsea have completed the signing of Dutch defensive wonderkid Xavier Mbuyamba, who has been likened to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.
Chelsea have have completed the signing of Dutch defender Xavier Mbuyamba on a free transfer after he terminated his contract with Barcelona, the club confirmed on their official website.
The 18-year-old Mbuyamba started out at the academy of MVV Maastricht in his native Netherlands. He went on to make 11 first-team appearances for the club before Barcelona snapped up the teenage talent last year.
But, however his time with the Catalan giants turned out be a frustrating one as Mbuyamba struggled for game time with Barcelona’s B time. In fact, he featured just three times over the course of the 2019/20 campaign, all of which came for the U19s in the UEFA Youth League.
Having grown disillusioned with his situation at the club, Mbuyamba terminated his contract with Barcelona this summer. A number of clubs across Europe had been linked with a move for the 18-year-old. However, Chelsea held an advantage over the suitors, having had the centre-back at trial last summer, prior to his transfer to Barcelona.
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Xavier Mbuyamba from Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/IE8PLWmgfx
— Chelsea Youth (@chelseayouth) August 20, 2020
And the Blues have now confirmed the signing of the Dutchman, with the defender penning a three-year contract with the West London outfit. A statement released on their official website read:
“Chelsea Football Club can also confirm the signing of Xavier Mbuyamba from Barcelona. The 18-year-old signed a professional contract at Cobham earlier this week and will join our development squad ahead of preparations for the new campaign.”
Standing at 6ft 5in, Mbuyamba is a giant for his age and has been compared to compatriot and Liverpool defensive stalwart Virgil van Dijk.
Possessing bags of potential, the 18-year-old represents a good addition for the club. Mbuyamba may not be thrust into the first-team right away, but Frank Lampard showed in his first season in charge at the club that he will give chances to youngsters, with the likes of Billy Gilmour and Reece James benefiting from his trust and backing.
Apart from Mbuyamba, Chelsea have made more notable signings in the form of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. More incomings are expected in the coming days with Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell closing in on a switch to Stamfrod Bridge.
