Serie A side Spezia Calcio are on the verge of securing a loan move for Chelsea starlet Ethan Ampadu.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 21-year-old will travel to Italy on Thursday, September 1 to complete the proposed move.
Whilst it was originally thought that the loan would involve an option to buy clause, Romano now reports that this clause is no longer included in the deal.
Ethan Ampadu Will Travel to Italy Ahead of His Proposed Move
Ethan Ampadu will travel to Italy on Thursday to complete his move to Spezia. Chelsea have accepted, it’s now done and sealed. 🚨🔵 #CFC
Straight lon until June — buy option clause will no longer be included. pic.twitter.com/BuudD8dIGg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2022
Ampadu’s Return to Italy
This isn’t Ampadu’s first spell in Italy. His time at Chelsea has been filled with a plethora of loan moves, with the most recent seeing him spend the 2021/22 season on loan at Venezia.
In terms of playing time, the move was a success. Ethan Ampadu made 30 appearances for the club, with 29 of those coming in Serie A. However, the move ultimately finished in a disappointing fashion.
The newly-promoted side finished rock bottom in the league, four points from safety.
Despite that though, Ampadu had a relatively impressive individual season. According to SofaScore, the versatile player recorded an average rating of 6.92 across the campaign. Given that he was playing for a side that was eventually condemned to relegation, that is more than respectable.
What’s more, Ampadu was also able to perform against some of the very best sides in the league and put in great accounts of himself against the likes of Juventus, Roma and Atalanta.
Spezia Calcio finished just six points above the relegation zone last season and will be hoping that Ampadu can replicate the form he showed last season, propelling them up the table in the process.
Read More: Official: Chelsea Sign ‘Prodigiously Talented’ Star
What Impact Does This Have on Chelsea?
Very little is the simple answer. Chelsea’s midfield has perhaps the most depth in the entire league, with the West London club having Jorginho, N’golo Kante, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic all in their squad.
Of course, Ampadu is versatile and also has the ability to play centre-back. However, his playing time would also have been very limited in this position, too, after the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly and the expected arrival of Wesley Fofana from Leicester City.
The move seems to be a win for all parties then – Chelsea are able to relieve a portion of their wage demands, Ampadu is provided with much-needed first-team football, and Spezia acquire the services of a very talented footballer.
Read More: Premier League Predictions – Matchweek 5
Ampadu’s Chelsea contract
One thing that will be on the mind of both Chelsea and Ampadu however is that his current deal with the club expires in the summer of 2024.
That means that upon his arrival from this proposed loan move, he will have just one year left on his contract at Chelsea.
For Ampadu then, this is perhaps his last chance to impress and earn himself a position in Thomas Tuchel’s squad. There is every chance that Chelsea will decide to sell him if he fails to do so.
Given the strength of Chelsea’s midfield, however, that may just prove to be a near-impossible task for the Welshman.
