Chelsea are ready to pay a staggering £30 million for 17-year-old Fulham starlet Luke Harris.
The Jersey born forward who is in the Wales squad for Sunday's Nations League game against Poland hasn’t yet made a first team appearance for the Cottagers. But Chelsea have been on his trail since he scored a hat-trick in an Under 21s game between the two clubs earlier this year.
He is the next star off the Fulham conveyer belt of young talent which has seen Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho leave for Liverpool. Spotted by Fulham’s chief academy scout Malcolm Elias, Harris is regarded as the youngster with the most potential at his age.
It’s why Chelsea have already been involved in advanced discussions with their West London neighbours as they look to make their move in the January transfer window.
Sunday Mirror can reveal that an amazing deal involving an initial £25 million fee with further payments taking it to £30 million is on the cards. The teenager only signed his first professional contract earlier this month which ties him to Fulham until 2025. But his time with Fulham could be short lived with Chelsea poised to strike a deal.
Upon signing that deal, he said: "I'm really pleased to extend my time here at Fulham having been here from a young age.
"I couldn’t have done it without my parents who sacrificed a lot for me, driving me away on the weekends as a young kid, so they deserve a lot of credit. I’m enjoying my football and I'm very excited for what lies ahead."
Fulham boss Marco Silva added: "He will get games, he will be on the bench, he will have some minutes. We have to be patient with him, and not push pressure around him."
"Now we have to help him grow as a player. He will have his time in the First Team, because he has the quality."
