Chelsea have now officially completed the signing of teenage striker Dujuan Richards.
The Jamaican international has moved to Stamford Bridge from the Phoenix Allstars Football Academy in Kingston.
Richards agreed a pre-contract deal with Chelsea last March and a transfer was then confirmed over the summer, with the player expected to join the Blues after turning 18.
Richards celebrated his 18th birthday in November and has now officially joined Chelsea, having previously trained with Mauricio Pochettino's first-team squad during their pre-season tour of the USA last year.
"I’m so pleased to be here," Richards told Chelsea's official website. "My dream was always to sign a professional contract and to have the chance to do that here at Chelsea, it’s difficult to put into words the emotions. I just can’t wait to get started."
Richards had been part of the Phoenix Academy since the age of 11 and had drawn strong interest from Newcastle, going on trial with the club and watching a game at St James' Park before Chelsea swooped in to beat their Premier League rivals to his signature.
The deal was secured by Chelsea's director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields, with Richards also known in the academies of Manchester City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United after facing those clubs on a tour of England back in 2021.
Dujuan Richards has officially completed his move to Chelsea from the Phoenix Academy. ✅🔵
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 12, 2024
Richards - who also spent time at Brooke House College in Leicestershire - also had a trial in Spain with Real Sociedad in 2022 and had been tracked by both Eredivisie giants Ajax and Belgian outfit Genk, among others.
He made his senior international debut for Jamaica against Trinidad and Tobago just hours after signing for Chelsea last March and has since earned 10 caps, scoring one goal against the same side in their 2023 Gold Cup campaign in June.
Richards will now join the Chelsea academy and hope to quickly prove that he is worthy of first-team chances in a problem position under Pochettino.
