Lewis Bate in action for the England youth team. (imago Images)
According to a tweet by Simon Johnson of The Athletic, Lewis Bate has passed his medical at Leeds United ahead of a permanent transfer from Chelsea.
The teenager is set to be announced as a Leeds player today itself with all formalities nearly done. The 18-year-old English midfielder attracted interest from other clubs while the Blues attempted to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
That is according to a report by The Athletic (Subscription Required) [as covered by ASBTF] which mentions that West Ham United, Liverpool, Brighton, and Leicester were also interested as he rejected a new deal at Stamford Bridge. His current contract expires next year.
The Blues have also agreed on a seven-figure transfer fee for the youngster. Leeds will pay £1.5million plus add-ons for Bate, who never made a single appearance for the senior side despite making the bench thrice.
While the transfer fee is not very significant, it’s still something. At 18, with just a year left on his deal and with no Chelsea appearance to boast of, the Blues were unlikely to get a lot of money for him.
Their first-team set-up will not be affected by this deal, with Thomas Tuchel knowing who his three trusted central midfielders are.
Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, and Mateo Kovacic share gametime in a two-man central midfielder for now. As for the future, the club also has the likes of Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher on their books.
For Chelsea fans, Bate’s move to Leeds would also be seen as a safer option when considered that he could have joined fellow top-four contenders Leicester and Liverpool, or London rivals West Ham, instead.
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