Chelsea are expected to snap up fullback Ishe Samuels-Smith from Everton for £4m, according to multiple reports in the English media.

Manchester City and Tottenham were also linked with the England Under 17 international but the Blues are set to beat the competition to secure the defender’s signature.

Samuels-Smith will put pen to paper on a three-year contract, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2026.

Due to the fact that he is still only 17 years of age, he won’t be considered for the first team straight away, with the youngster likely to feature for the club’s development squad next season if his move is finalised over the coming days.

What do fans need to know about Samuels-Smith?

The teenager is a left-back by trade, having played for Everton’s Under 21s in Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy last season. He did get on the bench for two senior games; the Carabao Cup third round tie against Bournemouth back in November last year, as well as the 3-1 defeat to Fulham in the league in April.

Samuels-Smith has also been deployed as a centre-back, mostly at international level. In both qualifying for the European Under 17 Championships, and in the tournament itself, he played in that position for England, helping the Three Lions reach the quarter-finals.

Chelsea are making moves in the transfer market

If Samuels-Smith does sign on the dotted line, he will be the Blues’ fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Alex Matos (Norwich City) and Diego Moreira (Benfica).

With the London club having already sold seven players as well, the first-team squad is undergoing a radical overhaul, and there are likely to be more fresh faces coming in through the doors of Stamford Bridge before the end of August.