Chelsea start talks to extend 20-year-old defender’s contract

Chelsea in talks with Bashir Humphreys to renew his contract

According to Evening Standard, Chelsea have started talks with youngster Bashir Humphreys to extend his contract and then later send him on loan.

The youngster has been monitored by plenty of clubs, including Coventry City, but the Blues priority is to renew his deal before sending him on loan which expires in 2024.

The 20-year-old has fascinated Mauricio Pochettino during the pre-season games, where he featured in all outings. He was a part of the squad which won the Premier League Summer Series in the USA.

Besides Humphreys, only Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Conor Gallagher played more games under Pochettino on the pre-season tour. Chelsea are hoping to send him on loan so he can get better experience and play for the West Londoners in the future.

The Blues have been impressed by his performance, and the centre-back has been allowed to pick his loan destination after an impressive six-month spell in Germany at Paderborn.

However, Humphreys isn’t the only youngster who is being sent on loan; there are other youngsters such as Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei who could also be loaned out.

Meanwhile, Ian Maatsen is set to remain at the club for next season, as the Argentine manager sees him as the cornerstone of the club for the upcoming campaign. He can play as a left-back and even further forward as a left-winger.

Meanwhile, Humphreys’ preseason tour performance more than justifies his continued employment with the team, and Pochettino would believe he has what it takes to become a club defender in the future.

Humphreys was one of the young players who greatly enjoyed the tour and demonstrated his flair, but there is still potential for progress, as is the case with any player in that age group.

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He embodies calmness and coolness in and out of possession and seems to be in control of himself even in tough situations… all of this at the age of just 20. It will be beneficial to loan him to a Premier League team so that he can become familiar with the league before re-joining the Blues and staking a claim to the centre of the defence in the future.

It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to keep him after Wesley Fofana’s ACL injury but we have signed Axel Disasi since then. Unless there was to be an injury crisis at the club, Humphreys would have struggled for playing time.