n n n ‘. concat(e. i18n. t(“search. voice. recognition_retry”),’n
Chelsea have closed the signing of teenage striker Dujuan Richards.
The Jamaican international has moved to Stamford Bridge from the Phoenix Allstars Football Academy in Kingston.
Richards reached a pre-contract deal with Chelsea last March and a move was later shown over the summer, with the player set to sign up for the Blues after turning 18.
Richards turned 18 in November and has now officially joined Chelsea, having trained with Mauricio Pochettino’s first team on their pre-season excursion to the United States 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 struck through Chelsea director of recruitment and skill 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 in 2021.
Dujuan Richards has officially completed his move to Chelsea from 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 has been followed by Eredivisie giants Ajax and Belgian side 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 won 10 international caps, scoring a similar goal in his 2023 Gold Cup campaign in June.
Richards will now sign up for Chelsea’s academy and will be hoping to temporarily prove he deserves first-team opportunities in a problematic position under Pochettino.