Chelsea have added yet another player to their ranks by confirming the arrival of young English striker Jimmy-Jay Morgan from fellow Premier League side Southampton.
Morgan is a versatile attacker who prefers to play as a centre-forward but can also operate out wide on either flank. He represents England at U17 level and boasts a decent record internationally, having scored six times in eight matches for the Young Lions.
Morgan was one of the highest rated players in the Southampton academy, a setup which has produced big Premier League names such as Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse.
However, the Saints soon became aware of interest from Chelsea in Morgan. And on Thursday, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed Graham Potter’s side were on the verge of announcing the 17-year-old’s move to west London.
Romano wrote on Twitter: “Chelsea will complete the Jimmy-Jay Morgan deal today (Thursday). The contract will be signed in the next hours.
“2006-born talented striker joins for academy from Southampton.
“£3million plus add-ons fee, the contract will be valid until June 2026, medical tests done last week.”
And Chelsea have now announced the transfer through a club statement. It reads: ‘Chelsea has completed the signing of Jimmy-Jay Morgan from Southampton.
Chelsea announce Jimmy-Jay Morgan capture
‘The forward joins our young Blues in impressive form, with six goals and five assists in 13 appearances for the Saints’ youth team across various competitions.
‘Morgan, 17, trained frequently with the Southampton men’s first team and was selected on the bench for some cup games but did not make a senior appearance.
‘He joins our Academy as an England Under-17s regular, playing a big part in the team’s progression from the group stages of the European Under-17 Championship qualifiers.’
Jim Fraser, head of Chelsea’s youth development and recruitment, labelled Morgan an ‘exciting striker’. “In signing Jimmy-Jay we have added a player with good potential to our Academy squads,” he said. “His ability marks him out as an exciting striker and we are delighted he has chosen Chelsea for this next, important stage of his development.”
Astonishingly, Morgan has become the 19th signing of the Todd Boehly era. In summer 2022, Chelsea brought in 10 new players. This included the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella.
And Boehly spent even more money during January, with eight new stars joining Potter’s squad. They included Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix and Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Morgan has joined that list and becomes the 19th player to link up with Chelsea since Boehly’s takeover was completed in May 2022. And Chelsea are already looking at signing number 20, too.
According to recent reports, they are planning to rival Manchester United for a top Serie A star.
