chelsea It appears the next step in Jesse Derry's development has been finalized, with reports from Portugal now claiming the teenager is heading to Sporting CP on loan after agreeing a new long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
record The 19-year-old has recently agreed to join the Portuguese champions on a season-long deal after renewing his Chelsea contract, according to reports.
The newspaper says that Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Southampton were all keeping an eye on the England youth international, but Sporting decided to accelerate their pursuit of the player they have been tracking for several months.
The update comes less than 24 hours later to ball It was reported that Chelsea were moving towards joining Derry on a new deal following interest from Sporting, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
According to that report, the growing interest in the winger has prompted the Blues to make a swift move to secure his long-term future.
If the latest claims prove true, Chelsea's contract renewal and loan move appear to be part of the same plan, allowing the club to protect one of their brightest young talents before sending him out for regular senior football.
Chelsea loan scheme revealed
According to the Record, Chelsea's decision reflects the tough competition Derry faces for attacking places at Stamford Bridge.
The report points to the presence of Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, Estevao, Cole Palmer, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Tyrick George and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen as reasons why it will be difficult to secure regular first-team football this season.
A move to Sporting would instead give Derry the opportunity to play Champions League football as well as compete for major honours. Records show that prospect appealed to the youngster as he contemplated his next move.
Sporting had already identified Derry as a target Now before deciding to move, partly to consolidate a position they had been looking to improve throughout the summer.
The Portuguese champions also value his versatility, as the right-footed winger is comfortable operating on either flank despite playing predominantly on the left.
If the deal is successful, Derry would become Sporting's sixth signing of the summer.
Rapid rise after Chelsea switch
The progress of dairy has been rapid in the last year. After joining Chelsea from Crystal Palace, the winger enjoyed an impressive first season in west London, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in 30 appearances for the club's U21 and U19 sides.
Those performances led to him making three appearances for the senior team. He made his debut under Liam Rosenior in Chelsea's 4–0 League Cup win over Hull City, before rejoining the domestic cup competition and making his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest.
His development has also continued on the international stage with the England U19 team, cementing his reputation as one of Chelsea's most promising academy prospects.
At the moment, Chelsea have not made any public announcement on the reported contract extension or the proposed loan move.
However, Portuguese reports now confirm that the Blues have responded to growing interest from across Europe by securing Derry's future ahead of giving him the opportunity to gain valuable senior experience away from Stamford Bridge.
