Leeds beat Liverpool to sign Bate from Chelsea

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 22 Jul 2021 10:15 BST
• 1 min read

Leeds United have confirmed they have signed Lewis Bate from Chelsea, beating Liverpool, Southampton and West Ham to the youngster.

Bate, who is an 18-year-old midfielder, joins up with the Elland Road club for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around the £1.5 million mark.

He becomes the club's fifth signing of the summer, following Junior Firpo, Jack Harrison, Shaun McGurk and Amari Miller.

In a statement on the club's website, Leeds confirmed: "Leeds United are pleased to announce the signing of Lewis Bate.

"The midfielder joins the Whites from fellow Premier League side Chelsea for an undisclosed fee.

"Bate, who attracted interest from a number of clubs, has penned a three-year-deal at Elland Road, running until the summer of 2024.

"The 18-year-old has been part of the Chelsea youth setup for the last 10 years and captained the Blues in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final.

"Last season he made the step up to Under-23s football, making 20 appearances as Chelsea finished runners-up in Premier League 2 Division 1.

"He has also won caps at youth level for England at both Under-17 and Under-18 level."

Bate had been at the Stamford Bridge club since he turned eight and was named on the bench for the senior side on three occasions without ever getting on the field.