Chelsea confirm huge deal for possible Marc Cucurella replacement as transfer message sent

Chelsea academy defender Ishe Samuels-Smith has signed a six-year contract with the club. The club confirmed the deal on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after he played the full game in an Under-21s win over Crystal Palace.

Samuels-Smith is yet to make his debut for the senior Chelsea team but is one of the most impressive young players at the club. He initially joined from Everton in 2023.

Aged 18, Samuels-Smith is able to operate as a left-back or centre-back and is equally as adept at passing as he is defending. He has been capped by England at Under-19 level having come through the ranks.

As a commanding physical presence with a tall frame, Samuels-Smith is elegant on the ball and composed without it as well. He is a terrific when in one-on-one scenarios and can also contribute moving forward from full-back as well.

In the 4-2 Premier League 2 (PL2) victory over Palace he played a part in two goals with clipped balls down the line to Ronnie Stutter and Donnell McNeilly.

Despite this, Samuels-Smith has committed himself to Chelsea until 2031. It reflects his form and performances for the youth sides since joining.

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Last term, Samuels-Smith moved through the age groups, playing first for the Under-18s before quickly graduating to Under-21 football. He is now a keystone in Filipe Coelho's team and and has played 21 times in PL2 and the EFL trophy.

Samuels-Smith has scored twice, assisting four. He has also captained the side and is one of those pushing to get more opportunities for Enzo Maresca.

Although versatile defender and midfielder Renato Veiga was signed last summer and was then swiftly loaned out to Juventus in January in search for more game time, Samuels-Smith has not yet made the jump.

Samuels-Smith will hope to become a true competitor to Cucurella's currently unopposed left-back spot in the future. Chelsea have sold academy stars Lewis Hall and Ian Maatsen in the past two years for over £75million and the pair both operate mainly in that position as well.

Chelsea face Legia Warsaw in the Conference League on Thursday in what would be an ideal situation to offer him a first outing. However, Samuels-Smith is not eligible for the competition and has not been registered in the squad. He does not qualify for UEFA's B-list having not been at Chelsea for two years before the start of this season.

Other Cobham hopefuls could be involved. 17-year-old striker Shumaira Mheuka is also in contention and he came off the bench.