Chelsea agree defender transfer as Enzo Maresca wish granted

Burnley have agreed a loan deal with an obligation to buy for Chelsea defender Bashir Humphreys, football.london understands.

The 21-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Turf Moor following the conclusion of his temporary move for the 2024/25 season with the Clarets and Scott Parker seeing him as a key defender for the future and thus have invested heavily into the move.

During the 2023/24 season, Humphreys made 26 appearances on loan at Swansea City, though his campaign was derailed by an injury in February. Upon returning to west London, he did not travel as part of the squad that headed to the United States of America for a pre-season tour.

Deivid Washington, Cesare Casadei, Trevoh Chalobah, David Datro Fofana, and Alfie Gilchrist also missed the tour with reports then emerging Chelsea were keen to part ways with anyone who remained at Cobham during that period. From that group, Gilchrist has already sealed a loan move to Sheffield United.

Conor Gallagher also missed the friendlies stateside and though that was because of his participation at Euro 2024 with England, he is also expected to leave. Atletico Madrid agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign him but that move was put on hold after Samu Omorodion's switch in the opposite direction collapsed.

Talks have since resumed with Joao Felix now involved and an agreement between the two parties for both players is getting closer.

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If Felix joins, Enzo Maresca will have Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson as his attacking options.