chelsea Young Jesse Derry is already attracting transfer interest after a successful first season at Stamford Bridge, with Portuguese side Sporting now keeping a close eye on the teenager.
The interest follows the remarkable rise of the youngster, who joined Chelsea from Crystal Palace just last summer.
Derry spent most of the campaign with Chelsea's U21 and U19 teams and produced strong numbers in both age groups. For the U21s, he made 22 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing four assists. One of those goals came against Benfica B in a 6–2 defeat in the Premier League International Cup.
He was equally effective in the UEFA Youth League, scoring five goals in eight appearances for Chelsea's U19 team.
Those performances earned him opportunities in the senior team. Derry made his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest and played the first 45 minutes of Chelsea's 2–1 defeat. He also came off the bench in FA Cup matches against Wrexham and Hull City, with Chelsea winning the latter 4–0 and overcoming Wrexham after a penalty shootout.
Sporting looking for options at left back
to ball The 18-year-old winger is reportedly on Sporting's shortlist as the Lisbon club begin planning for the 2026/27 season. Any move will first depend on the sales of Sporting, but Derry has emerged as one of the names under consideration.
According to the story, Sporting are reshaping their plans for the left wing.
Pedro Goncalves is expected to depart as he looks for a new chapter in his career, while Souleymane Faye looks set to be put on the market after failing to establish himself following his €6.5m (£5.6m) arrival from Granada during the winter transfer window.
Sporting's priority target for a place is Deportivo La Coruna winger Yeremey Hernandez, but Derry have been added to the shortlist which is being gradually whittled down. The Portuguese newspaper says former target Chiquinho is already out of contention.
Any moves for new wide players are expected to be partly dependent on Sporting finding a buyer for Faye.
International progress enhances prestige
Jesse Derry's development has also continued on the international stage with the England U19 team.
The winger played three matches at the European Championship, scoring twice, and also found the net five times in six qualification matches. That tally included two goals in England's 6–0 win over Portugal.
At the moment, Sporting's interest has been described as surveillance rather than active exploration. Chelsea are also in a strong position, having a contract with Derry until 2029.
TransferMarket currently values the teenager at €2m (£1.7m), but after a season that brought goals, assists, senior performances and international recognition, it's easy to understand why clubs outside England have started to take notice.
