Chelsea’s smartest piece of business has been Ethan Ampadu’s extension

Chelsea has given Ethan Ampadu a five year extension. It may just be the smartest piece of business from the Blues all year.

A little over a year ago, Ethan Ampadu was playing for Exeter City in League Two. At 16, he was making a handful of appearances for the club. Had he stayed, that likely would have continued and he likely would have still been at Exeter unless a League One team snatched him up.

But something about him appealed to Chelsea. They signed him and were met with many saying “who?” Ampadu slotted right into the academy side without missing a beat. And then, out of nowhere, the then 17 year old caught the eye of Antonio Conte.

Conte introduced the young Welshman to the club at large. At 17, Ampadu was one of the youngest Chelsea starters ever. Conte kept the faith with the young Welshman and played him a few times. The Welsh National Team also took noticed and called Ampadu up to cap him. And now, a wild year later, the Blues has handed Ampadu a five year contract extension. It might be their smartest business all year.

It is rare to find a player so composed and ready at 18. But Ampadu has been like that since he arrived at 16. Some have compared him to Kylian Mbappe in terms of talent, which may be putting the cart before the horse, but Ampadu is gushing with potential.

For the Blues (and Wales), Ampadu has lined up both in midfield and as a center back. There is no clear difference between his performances at either yet. He may remind of Ronald Koeman in that sense as he is able to blend the two roles while never forsaking either. At defense, Ampadu provides a solid eye for a pass. In midfield, he can hunt down and win the ball back nearly anywhere.

He has yet to truly break through at Chelsea, but given how he already has for the Welsh team, Chelsea is not far behind. He is simply too good to sit on the bench for an extended period of time. By the end of next season, it would be incredibly surprising if he were not a starter in more than half of Chelsea’s games.

So his extension is fantastic news for Chelsea fans. He likely got a much needed pay raise and likely was told his responsibility to the club will increase. He seems like one of the rare cases of a player avoiding the loan army and the contract will protect him from other clubs who will surely be interested.

Ampadu is part of the next step for Chelsea. Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and others are also vying for that step. But Ampadu is there and his future is not a question of “if” but rather “when”. If Maurizio Sarri trusts Ampadu enough to give him a chance, he will be well rewarded by the young player. As will Chelsea for years to come. Ampadu is a super star in the making and Chelsea must make sure that he plies his trade for them.