Talented Eastbourne-born Nigerian central defender Tayo Subuloye has signed his first professional contract with Premier League giants Chelsea, shortly after celebrating his seventeenth birthday.
The Stamford Bridge club has not disclosed the financial terms or duration of the new deal.
Fifa's regulations on the status and transfer of players state that players under the age of 18 may not sign a professional contract for a term longer than three years and any clause referring to a longer period shall not be recognised.
According to Italian transfer market guru [Fabrizio Romano](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1870779029164630179), legendary Chelsea central defender John Terry attended the signing ceremony and posed for the cameras.
Subuloye started the 2024-2025 season as a first year scholar and was promoted to Chelsea U18s on a permanent basis.
He joined Chelsea at U12 level from Brighton & Hove, and has progressed through the age groups.
In his final season as a schoolboy, he played in four matches in the U18 Premier League and was a key member of the Chelsea teams that won the U16 Premier League National Tournament trophy and U17 Premier League Cup.
This season, Subuloye has improved his attacking contributions while maintaining his defensive responsibilities, scoring two goals in eleven U18 Premier League matches.
International recognition came his way in October 2024 as he made his debut for England U18s in a friendly against Sweden.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Photo Credit: chelseafc.com
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