Chelsea are closing in on an agreement to sign Norwich City’s highly-rated 18-year-old midfielder Alex Matos on a free transfer.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle to sign Alex Matos from Norwich City. The highly-rated 18-year-old midfielder is set to leave the Canaries and sign with the Blues on a free transfer. But the London side will pay a compensation fee.
Chelsea have continued their quest to sign some of the highly-rated youngsters. Having laid the groundwork on several deals before the summer window, they can close on one imminently. Todd Boehly wants to widen the club’s net for some of the best talents in the UK and is closing in on Alex Matos.
Matos is a highly-rated 18-year-old midfielder with Norwich City. The Canaries are impressed by his talents but have not been able to agree on a new deal with the youngster. The midfielder has refused to sign a new contract with the club, indicating he will move and play elsewhere.
Matos joined the Norwich academy from Luton Town after impressing at the Under-12 level. He has worked his way through their ranks and become a regular on the Under-18 side. Norwich signed him first on a scholarship contract in 2021. And a year later, he secured his first professional deal.
🚨 Chelsea have agreed a deal in principle to sign Norwich City youngster Alex Matos 🟢🟡
[@footyinsider247]#NCFC #CFC pic.twitter.com/iCNfkwGWO7
— Championship Transfer News (@ChampionshipTr5) March 28, 2023
He has provided three assists this season and thus attracting the interest of top clubs. For now, Chelsea seems like the only potential suitor closing in on agreeing on a deal with the 18-year-old midfielder.
While Chelsea will sign him on a free transfer, Norwich will be due a sizeable compensation fee. The Canaries also want to include a sell-on clause in the contract if Chelsea decides to cash in on the 18-year-old midfielder in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Boehly also wants Irish talent Mason Melia from St Patrick’s Athletic and has eyes for South American prodigy Kendry Paez. These are the ones they currently track, and will hope to find an agreement to sign them in the coming months.
They have already made plenty of moves to sign the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Omari Hutchinson last summer and brought in many other exciting players in January. The likes of Matos will form part of their growing youth setup to feature for the first team in the coming years.
