18-year-old future Chelsea star completes transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Jul 2024 16:33 BST
• 3 min read

Senegal youth international Pape Diong has joined BlueCo-owned Strasbourg.

A midfielder who starred at the U17 World Cup and in his native Senegal, Diong arrives in Europe with sizeable expectations. That is because the 18-year-old had initially been envisioned to join Chelsea.

Diong trained with the Blues earlier this year and toured the club facilities, with Fabrizio Romano even giving his famous 'here we go' to a Chelsea transfer.

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However, news of Diong's arrival eventually went quiet for several weeks before resurfacing in a different context. French media suddenly began reporting that the teenager would not be joining Chelsea but instead would be heading to BlueCo-affiliate Strasbourg - on a permanent deal.

Strasbourg sign Diong

This has now materialised, with the Alsatian club officially announcing the acquisition of Diong from his youth Darou Salam Academy. Rather than joining the Ligue 1 side on loan via Chelsea, Diong has instead penned a long-term contract until 2029 with Strasbourg.

However, this of course doesn't mean that he will stay in eastern France for the next five years. Given his previous experience at Chelsea, Diong has clearly been earmarked as a player who could go on to become quite useful for the west London giants.

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Indeed, like many of Strasbourg's young guns, Diong will eventually get the chance to move up to the Premier League should he manage to live up to his significant potential in Ligue 1.

Strasbourg have already signed Oscar Perea, a left-winger who could also eventually move to Stamford Bridge, and they are on the verge of getting US men's national team youngster Caleb Wiley, though the American will actually be signed by Chelsea and only join the sister club on loan.