Chelsea keen to beat a host of clubs to young Spaniard with £7.2m release clause

Chelsea keen on Spanish Under-19 star Nico Melamed

According to the Express, Chelsea have entered the race for Spanish youth star Nico Melamed.

The Espanyol starlet is highly rated and has attracted attention from a number of Europe’s biggest teams. The 19-year-old came through the club’s ranks before making his debut for the first-team last season.

An attacking midfielder who can also play on the left wing, he has made seven appearances for Espanyol. He has continued to impress for the club’s B side by scoring seven goals in 27 appearances.

According to the report, the other clubs keeping tabs on Melamed include the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Espanyol, however, sees the player as a part of their long-term plans and had already agreed on a contract extension last April.

Despite this securing his future at the club until 2023, his relatively cheap £7.2million release clause should not deter the big clubs.

Although Espanyol are keen to offer the youngster better terms next year, the regelated side could lose him on a cheap this summer.

Capable of playing in a variety of positions, Melamed’s versatility will be an attractive proposition to Frank Lampard. It gives the Blues boss the opportunity to deploy the Spaniard in a variety of positions as required. (h/t Express)

Winds of change

It looks to be a busy summer at Chelsea with a number of key incomings and outgoings. Although the Blues lost veteran wingers Willian and Pedro, they brought in Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

Melamed has made two appearances for the Spanish Under-19 side.

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Chelsea are looking at building a young core, that can lay the foundation for the decade to come.

It is difficult to see Melamed get opportunities at the Bridge from the go. However, if he develops as expected, there is no reason why he cannot leave a mark.