Chelsea are close to selling academy star Ishe Samuels-Smith to Strasbourg for a fee of €6 million, according to reports in France.
The 19-year-old joined Chelsea from Everton back in 2023 and he has established himself as one of the brightest youth prospects at Stamford Bridge over the past two years.
That is according to renowned French publication L’Equipe, who report that Samuels-Smith is close to joining Strasbourg this summer.
The two clubs, who are both owned by BlueCo, are reportedly negotiating a €6m permanent transfer and the teenager could be set to become the latest Chelsea player to join their sister club since 2023.
Ishe Samuels-Smith to join Strasbourg
Chelsea are hoping to send Mathis Amougou, Kendry Paez and Mike Penders on loan to Strasbourg for the 2025-26 campaign, which is seen as a key reason why Samuels-Smith’s departure to Ligue 1 is set to be a permanent one.
Strasbourg are only allowed to sign three Chelsea players on loan during a single season and they are set to escape this loophole by signing Samuels-Smith permanently, with a buy-back clause likely to be included in the deal.
A new face at Strasbourg Training Centre looks like Chelsea “Ishe Samuels-Smith”. 🤔
Photo Credit to @Rcsa67550 pic.twitter.com/8iN4Jhn7Dv
— 💥 BlueCo Xtra (@Bluecoxtra) July 9, 2025
The 18-year-old has been spotted at Strasbourg’s training ground ahead of his imminent move to the club and the transfer is expected to be completed before the start of the new Ligue 1 season.
Samuels-Smith, who is capable of playing at left-back or centre-back, made 31 appearances for Chelsea’s U21 side last season, and he signed a new six-year contract in April.
He reportedly agreed his new deal at Stamford Bridge with the promise of being included in Chelsea’s first-team squad during the 2025-26 campaign, but the Blues have instead decided to sell him permanently this summer.
Football transfer news headlines today
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
