Chelsea are reportedly staring at the prospect of losing exciting youngster Ben Elliott, with Southampton, Brighton, and Brentford keen on signing him.
According to a report from The Sun, Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Brentford are considering making a swoop for promising Chelsea midfielder Ben Elliott, who is in the final year of his contract.
A product of the Chelsea youth academy, Elliott is held in very high regard at the club and is considered as one of the brightest young talents coming through the ranks at Cobham. The 18-year-old made 20 appearances for the Blues’ Under-18 setup, scoring four goals and setting up three more.
Now a member of the club’s Under-23 side, the versatile playmaker has featured eight times for the reserves. Elliott, however, is staring at an uncertain future at the west London outfit as his current contract runs out at the end of the ongoing season. Given his potential, Chelsea are intent on tying him down to a new long-term deal, but there has been no progress made as of yet.
This situation has now alerted several Premier League clubs over the possibility of a move for the 18-year-old former England youth international. Among the clubs keen on signing Elliott are Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford.
Southampton already snared away a talented young footballer from Chelsea last summer when they signed Tino Livramento. The young full-back has been pushed into the first-team picture at St. Mary’s already, and that is something that could appeal very much to Elliott, whose pathway to the senior team at Chelsea is currently riddled with obstacles.
Brighton & Hove Albion also signed a Chelsea academy product a couple of years ago, in the form of Tariq Lamptey. And even though the young full-back spent a large chunk of the last year out injured, he is regarded as one of the most exciting players in his position and has attracted interest from clubs. Should Elliott follow him to Brighton, he would be groomed by a top coach in Graham Potter.
As for Brentford, Thomas Frank’s side would also offer the 18-year-old a much realistic chance of playing first-team football than Chelsea, where Thomas Tuchel already has a plethora of options in the midfield and attacking midfield department, although Hakim Ziyech has recently been linked with an exit.
It now remains to be seen if Elliott decides to sign a new deal and continue at Chelsea or seeks a new adventure for himself once his contract runs out.