Chelsea youngster Pierre Ekwah Elimby is on the verge of joining West Ham United, for a fee of €1.5 million.
According to RMC Sport journalist Loic Tanzi, West Ham United are closing in on the capture of Pierre Ekwah Elimby. The Chelsea whizkid was training with the fellow London side for a few weeks and a direct transfer appears to be immiment.
West Ham are expected to pay a fee of €1.5 million to Chelsea for the transfer of Elimby, while the newly-crowned European champions also hold a “big percentage” of his resale value.
Ekwah Elimby is regarded as one of most talented players in the Chelsea academy. He initially arrived at Stamford Bridge back in 2018, in a €2 million move from Nantes’ youth setup. The young defender was drafted to the U18s at first, but his impressive performances in the youth competitions saw him earn a promotion to the club’s Elite Development Squad last summer.
The 19 year old, though, fell out of favour with the EDS side, featuring in only seven Premier League 2 matches this past season. As a result, it appears Chelsea have made no efforts in extending his contract which was set to expire in the summer.
Chelsea have made their first signing of the summer, Welcome to Chelsea Pierre-Emmanuel Ekwah Elimby. pic.twitter.com/yx41qvMb28
— ✈️ (@Arrizabalager) July 4, 2018
West Ham have been quick to pounce on the opportunity, though. The player was on trial at the London Stadium for quite a few weeks now and it seems David Moyes will be keen on offering him chances to prove his doubters wrong.
The former Manchester United boss has already done wonders at West Ham this season, helping them finish sixth and secure Europa League football for the upcoming campaign. He has also found a healthy harmony while reviving the career of Jesse Lingard.
The on-loan Manchester United midfielder is reportedly wanted by the Hammers in a permanent move this summer. As for Chelsea, they are expected to shore up not only their first-team, but also their youth department.
The Blues are among the clubs chasing highly rated Brazilian attacker Kaio Jorge, although Thomas Tuchel is most likely to focus on his first-team rebuild despite a success end to the campaign. The German is reportedly keen on signing Maxence Lacroix among many other quality defenders.
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He could make moves for new midfielders as well, especially with Billy Gilmour facing an uncertain future at the club. The young Scot has been recently linked with a loan move to Newcastle United, though a lot will depend on how he performs in the upcoming Euro with Scotland. As for Ekwah Elimby, the 19-year-old is set to sign for Chelsea’s London rivals West Ham United.
