Official: Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu joins Venezia on loan

Chelsea’s young gun Ethan Ampadu has joined Venezia on loan while extending his contract at Stamford Bridge until 2024.

In an official statement, Chelsea have confirmed the loan exit of Ethan Ampadu to Venezia. They have also confirmed that the young midfielder has extended his current deal at Stamford Bridge until 2024. There is no option to buy clause embedded in the loan contract with Venezia, which means he will return to the club at the end of the season.

Ampadu spent the most recent season on loan to Sheffield United. The youngster featured in 25 league matches for the Blades, becoming a vital part of their defensive unit, especially in the wake of the injury crisis. Unfortunately, he was not able to save the club from relegation as they finished the 2020/21 campaign at the bottom of the league table.

The 20-year-old also had a loan stint at RB Leipzig. He wasn’t as lucky with game-time in Germany, though, featuring in just three matches in the Bundesliga and falling behind the likes of Willi Orban and Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order.

Unfortunately, his prospects at Chelsea were made limited too, despite the departure of Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori and the late collapse of the club’s deal to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla.

As a result, the holding midfielder, who can also play at centre-back, has joined Venezia on a season-long loan deal, hoping to make his breakthrough in professional football. The Venice based outfit had beaten all odds to get promoted to Serie A this summer and it appears they are ready to bank their hopes on Ampadu as they look to survive the rigours of the top-flight.

The young Welshman doesn’t have any experience of playing in Serie A. But he does bring a significant amount of experience in English football and that too at the age of just 20. He will be up against former AC Milan starlet Mattia Caldara and a few other centre-backs in his quest to secure regular minutes for Paolo Zanetti’s men.

Meanwhile, for Chelsea, it appears they have made a breakthrough in the negotiations regarding Saul Niguez. The Spaniard is expected to join the club on a season-long loan deal, in what could be the last piece of business from the reigning European champions this summer.