Season after season, Chelsea Women’s academy continues to grow. We all see Aggie Beever-Jones. No. 33’s story in her first campaign at the senior level just keeps getting better. In no way is she the last academy standout to make it at the senior level. Beever-Jones is quietly becoming the poster child for the success youngsters hope to achieve at the club.
On Wednesday afternoon, the west Londoners announced that 18-year-old forward Aimee Claypole agreed on her first professional contract with the club. Claypole’s contract is until the summer of 2025 with the option to extend for a further year according to the club. ABJ’s contract is in fact on the same timeline as Claypole’s new one.
The striker made her debut for Emma Hayes’ team in January 2022, coming on for Jessie Fleming in the 81′ of a 3-1 triumph. Before this campaign began, the up-and-coming starlet participated in the final 13 minutes of the Roma friendly at Kingsmeadow. Later on, she joined the west London outfit in Portugal for pre-season training.
Made in Cobham. 💙 pic.twitter.com/3xILypyIRy
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) November 29, 2023
Here’s what the forward said on this historic moment in her professional career:
"“It’s a really proud moment for me and my family. It’s something that I’ve worked really hard for and to do it at my childhood club is a huge honour and to do it at this club, which is one of the best teams in the world. It’s amazing that I’ve been given that honour and the trust has been put in me to allow that to happen. I’m really grateful and I can’t wait to get started.”"
Nobody in the Women’s Super League Academy was more prolific in front of the net than Claypole in 2022/23. The Reading native scored 30 overall goals in the Southern Division, 11 more than Arsenal’s Michelle Agyemang who finished in second place last season. That is relentlessness at its finest. Now, its time to translate that potent ability to a higher level.
Chelsea academy forward Aimee Claypole could be set to go out on loan in January
Her next move has to be a loan, most likely in the Championship, a league that four current Blues are competing in. There has been nothing rumored yet, but we have to assume that a January switch could be in the cards with a contract already signed. Before her days in the Blues academy, she was a part of Reading’s operation. Why not send her back there? That familiarity would without question help the transition. The two clubs already have a good relationship as Emily Orman is currently there on loan. The Royals sit 10th in the English second-tier, having scored just eight goals at the time of writing. That is good for the third lowest total in the league behind only Blackburn Rovers and Lewes.
It’s going to take quite a lot to break into a team of caliber of CFCW. Claypole definitely knows that. Not impossible though. ABJ forced her way into the plans. If the now 18-year-old can string together at least two quality loan spells, the predecessor to Hayes at Chelsea will have no choice but to present her with an opportunity.