Ahanor to join Chelsea next season after Palace loan

Teenager Honest Ahanor will join Chelsea next season, external but the Atalanta defender will play the rest of this campaign on loan at Crystal Palace.

The Blues have agreed a deal worth up to £40m for the 18-year-old Italy international.

But he will not arrive at Stamford Bridge immediately and will instead join Palace before officially becoming a Chelsea player next summer.

Chelsea first expressed an interest in Ahanor, 18, when they signed right-back Marco Palestra from the Serie A side in July.

He mainly plays at left-back and joined Atalanta from Genoa on a three-year deal last summer for a reported fee of 16m euros, plus 4m euros in add-ons.

He made 28 appearances in Serie A for Atalanta last season, establishing himself as a regular starter. He also made his Champions League debut in a 2-1 win against Club Brugge last September.

In May, he was called up by Italy for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been building his squad since taking over at Stamford Bridge in July, signing England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a club record £117m and adding experienced Premier League players Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.

Meanwhile, striker Marc Guiu has joined Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, external in a deal worth £14.6m, including add-ons.

The 20-year-old, who signed for the Blues from boyhood club Barcelona in July 2024, made 29 first-team appearances during his time at Stamford Bridge, scoring eight times.