Omari Kellyman has delivered a bittersweet message to the Cardiff City faithful, admitting that while he is enjoying his time, his ultimate goal remains a permanent breakthrough at Chelsea.
Chelsea have a heap of promising young talents in their youth ranks right now, but the story of Omari Kellyman is a different one.
Kellyman joined Chelsea for around £19 million from Aston Villa back in June of 2024, with Ian Maatsen making his way to Villa Park.
However, he’s still yet to make his first team debut for the Blues. He does have five appearances under his belt for the Under-21s, scoring two goals in those appearances.
And Kellyman’s loan spell at Cardiff City has been a successful one, scoring seven goals, including five goals and one assist in his last six Championship appearances.
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Omari Kellyman issues an update on his Chelsea future
Chelsea are stacked for attackers at this moment in time, but that hasn’t stopped Kellyman from wanting to play a part at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to The Athletic, he reacted after seeing Cardiff fans on social media have been trying to convince him to sign on again next season.
“I have seen those,” he says with a smile. “Even coming out of the stadium, I can hear them saying it. It is great. After having a whole season being in the shadows, it is good to feel wanted again. But I signed for Chelsea, and I want to play for Chelsea — that is the end goal.
“I chose to go to Cardiff on loan because they are a massive club. Seeing how the manager (Brian Barry-Murphy) gets them playing suits me. I am more of a No 10 that plays off the right so I can cut in on my left foot. That was one of the positions he saw me playing in, although, like any manager, was stressing beforehand that I would have to expect to play in other positions as well.”
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Omari Kellyman shares Reece James’ influence at Chelsea
As we know, Reece James’ influence goes way beyond his work on the pitch. And that’s the case with Omari Kellyman, who struggled with a long-term hamstring injury.
“I had great support from all of the lads,” Kellyman reveals. “Most of the players would check up on me every day. With Reece, Romeo (Lavia) and Wes (Fofana)… I also spent a lot of time doing rehab with them.
“Reece checked up on me so much. The injuries he has had are very similar to mine. He is the one I understood the most because a lot of the challenges were similar to what I was going through. The difference is that everyone already knew how good he was, but he still faced the same talk from people about not being able to stay fit.
“Reece came out the other side and is flying now. He proved you can come back from it. I never doubted I would start playing again, but the doubt in your mind is: ‘Will I be the same?”
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