Andreas Christensen, a 16 year-old Danish defender currently playing for Brondby, will join Chelsea on a four-year deal at the end of the season, according to reports in Denmark this morning.
Christensen has previously been linked with a move to the Blues, but also received interest from a host of other top European clubs, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool all said to have been keen on the centre-back.
However, he has chosen to sign for Chelsea, putting pen to paper in a meeting in London with Michael Emenalo this week. He will turn professional upon his seventeenth birthday.
There will be no transfer fee as the player is out of contract but Brondby are said to be suitably recompensed in terms of training compensation.
Christensen told Ekstrabladett that he came to his decision to join Chelsea “because they play the kind of football I like. At the same time, they were the club that had the best plans for my footballing future.”
He is set to become part of a very large group of first-year scholars for the 2012-13 season, one which is predominantly made up of home-grown academy talent but also includes Islam Feruz – already a goalscorer at reserve level – as well as Bertrand Traore and the potential arrival of Polish goalkeeper Dominik Dyk, who has once again been in England on a trial with a view to a permanent deal.
Everyone at TheChels wishes to extend a warm welcome to Andreas and hope he develops into a fine footballer at Chelsea.