Chelsea confirm midfielder deal as busy transfer overhaul continues
Omari Kellyman has left Chelsea to join Strasbourg.
The attacking midfielder, 20, has moved from Stamford Bridge to Chelsea’s BlueCo sister club on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee following two years in west London.
Chelsea spent £19million to sign Kellyman from Aston Villa in the summer of 2024, yet he struggled with injury throughout his first campaign and did not make a single senior competitive appearance for the club.
Instead, the former Derby youngster spent the entirety of last season on loan with Cardiff, where he earned promotion to the Championship as he scored 11 goals and registered two assists in 42 total appearances across all competitions.
Kellyman won the EFL Young Player of the Month award back in February after playing a key role for the Bluebirds under Brian Barry-Murphy.
He went on Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia and Asia under new boss Xabi Alonso, making substitute appearances in friendlies against Tottenham and Western Sydney Wanderers.
However, Kellyman never looked likely to be included in Alonso’s first-team plans for this season and becomes the latest Chelsea player to move to Strasbourg, with the Blues understood to retain a buy-back option.
Kellyman - who made six senior appearances for Villa, including two in the Premier League - has signed a five-year contract at the Stade de la Meinau, where he joins current Chelsea loanees Filip Jorgensen and Genesis Antwi, plus ex-Blues left-back Ben Chilwell.
Valentin Barco and Emmanuel Emegha both joined Chelsea from Strasbourg this summer, while ex-Blues winger Diego Moreira was sold to AC Milan in a £60m deal, with Chelsea understood to have had a hefty sell-on clause.
Other Chelsea players to have spent time at Strasbourg in recent seasons includes the likes of Aaron Anselmino, Mamadou Sarr, Mike Penders, Kendry Paez and David Datro Fofana, while Andrey Santos - who left Stamford Bridge for Manchester United in a £50m move in July - also flourishing during a previous loan stint in northeastern France.
They have also been considered as a potential option for Mykhailo Mudryk, who is heading out on loan to build fitness and play regular football after settling his anti-doping proceedings with the FA.
Chelsea have ended talks with Leeds over a deal for Mudryk, who is also wanted by Frank Lampard’s Coventry.