Tottenham have finalised the signing of an in-demand teenage striker after convincing the hot-shot to defect from Chelsea and snub a move to Manchester City in the process.
It’s been a relatively quiet transfer window so far for Antonio Conte with just attacker Arnaut Danjuma arriving so far. The Dutch winger or striker has arrived on loan from Villarreal for the rest of the season, with Spurs having an option to make the move permanent.
Danjuma made an immediate impact after scoring on his debut in the FA Cup fourth-round win at Preston on Saturday.
However, while the window has been relatively quiet so far for Spurs, they can expect some late fireworks on deadline day. First up, the on-off transfer saga for Pedro Porro appears set to reach a positive conclusion. He will sign for Tottenham on Tuesday following a late intervention from chairman Daniel Levy.
There will also be some outgoings too. Bryan Gil has already completed a loan return to Sevilla. It’s debatable if the Spaniard will ever be seen in a Tottenham shirt again after struggling to make an impact.
And the arrival of Porro also means there is a shock exit for Matt Doherty on the cards with the Irishman seemingly heading to LaLiga.
Before those deals are sanctioned, however, Tottenham have at least managed to secure their second signing of the window. And the new man through the door is 19-year-old striker Jude Soonsup-Bell.
It was first revealed on Monday that Tottenham were closing on the signing of the teenager.
A player tipped for the very top, he has opted to move across London to Tottenham after defecting from Chelsea.
Tottenham secure transfer of Jude Soonsup-Bell
That move has now been finalised, with the striker snubbing Chelsea’s offer of a new deal to join Spurs.
The news comes as a big blow for Chelsea boss Graham Potter, who had earmarked Soonsup-Bell as a first-teamer in the future. Indeed, the Blues boss had sought out a solid career path into the Blues first-team for the player.
However, he has instead opted to sign for Spurs, penning a deal that runs to summer 2025.
Per David Ornstein, Chelsea have waived their right for a transfer fee for the youngster. His deal was due to expire in the summer, anyway. In the absence of a fee, they have instead opted to include a significant sell-on clause instead.
That may prove a smart play in the long run, with Chelsea potentially netting millions if Soonsup-Bell makes it big.
His move to Tottenham also comes as a blow to Manchester City. The Cityzens were also keen to recruit the England U19 international.
However, the Chippenham-born prospect has instead opted to remain in London.
In a statement, Spurs stated: “We are pleased to confirm the addition of Jude Soonsup-Bell to our Development Squad. The 19-year-old forward has signed from Chelsea and agreed a deal that will run until June 2025.”
Per reports, Spurs will monitor Soonsup-Bell for the rest of this season in their academy. Come the summer, Tottenham will then look to loan the youngster out, with a season’s loan into the Championship seen as a preferential option.
