Chelsea have opted to activate a clause in Sam McClelland's contract to see him stay with the Blues for another 12 months. The Northern Ireland international signed his first professional deal with the club in 2019, which saw him commit to Cobham until this summer.
The 20-year-old defender, currently on international duty with Northern Ireland's under-21 side, made his senior international in June 2021 when he came off the bench to play against Ukraine. McClelland featured prominently in the heart of the development team's defence at the start of the 2021/22 season, completing 90 minutes eight times in nine matches across Premier League 2, UEFA Youth League and the EFL Trophy and captained the side on four of those occasions.
However, since September, the young defender has not featured for the Blues as he attempted to overcome a longstanding injury. Nevertheless, his stay in west London has been extended as he comes towards his fifth year with the club after joining the academy set-up from Coleraine in 2018.
