Chelsea have confirmed the signing of former Newcastle United transfer target Dujuan 'Whisper' Richards. The Jamaica wonderkid was pictured at St James' Park for the home draw with West Ham in February, and enjoyed a two-week trial with the club's academy side.
Richards confirmed in an exclusive interview with ChronicleLive that he was 'expecting' to sign with Newcastle. However, the Phoenix All Stars Academy talent opted to agree a deal with Chelsea after the Premier League rivals made a move at the 11th hour, with co-director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields reportedly playing a huge role in convincing the striker to shun the Magpies.
The deal was initially announced via social media on March 11, with Richards' representative Craig Butler explaining 'more guarantees' and a willingness to work with the academy setup in Kingston, Jamaica, swung the deal to the Blues. Now, Chelsea have finally announced the signing with a statement on Saturday, with the striker set to join after celebrating his 18th birthday in October.
