DYNEL SIMEU has become the latest Chelsea academy product to quit the club, joining Southampton on a permanent deal.
The England Under-19 international spent seven years at Stamford Bridge working his way through the youth ranks.
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But, in desperate search of first-team football, Simeu, 19, has become the 18th player to be moved on by the Blues this summer already.
Simeu had been part of Chelsea’s Under-23s squad following his breakout season in 2019-20 – and even captained the team on numerous occasions.
However, with the Blues undergoing a major squad trim, the Cameroon-born defender has become the latest in a long line of players to be sold.
A Chelsea statement read: “Academy defender Dynel Simeu has today completed a permanent transfer to Southampton.
“The England Under-19 international joins the South Coast club after seven years in our youth development programme, returning to the area in which he grew up following his move to England from Cameroon as a child.
“Simeu made 22 appearances last term for Andy Myers’ development squad, having played seven times in the Premier League 2 title triumph of 2019-20.
“He was a regular at the heart of the defence and captained the team on numerous occasions.
“We thank Dynel for his time at the club and wish him well in the future.”
Simeu’s contract expired in June, with Chelsea believed to have offered him an extension.
But the centre-back rejected the deal as he looks to make his senior Premier League debut sooner rather than later.
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While Simeu leaves on a ‘free’, they will be entitled to roughly £1.5million for their role in developing him, as is the rule for players aged 23 or under.
The likes of Lewis Bate, Myles Peart-Harris, Marc Guehi and Izzy Brown have all quit Chelsea in permanent deals in recent weeks.
They join senior stars Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori and Victor Moses in leaving for good, while youngsters such as Billy Gilmour have been shipped off on loan.
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