Chelsea sign USMNT left-back Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United for reported £8.5m fee

Chelsea have completed a deal to sign left-back Caleb Wiley from the United States national team for a reported £8.5million.

The 19-year-old will join Chelsea from Atlanta United on a six-year deal. Wiley is expected to be loaned out to Strasbourg, the Ligue 1 club that is part of the same Blueco ownership group as Chelsea, for a season.

Wiley rose through Atlanta’s youth ranks and has been a member of the MLS club’s first team since 2022. He made his debut for the U.S. national team against Mexico last October.

“Caleb embodies the path we envisioned when we started this club,” Atlanta technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement. “He was born and raised in Atlanta, joined our Academy at age 11 and earned every step along the way.

“During that time, he made his debut for the national team and was selected to represent our country at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Now he can continue his career at a top club in Europe. We wish Caleb all the best in this next challenge in his career and look forward to following his journey.”

In two and a half seasons with Atlanta’s first team, Wiley has recorded six goals and seven assists in 77 MLS games, including one goal and one assist in 21 starts this season. He is now in Paris as part of the U.S. squad for the Olympic soccer tournament.

The left-back is Chelsea’s sixth summer signing under new manager Enzo Maresca, with Omari Kellyman, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu and Renato Veiga already joining in this transfer window. Like Guiu and Veiga, Wiley fits Chelsea’s model of signing young players on long-term contracts. Guiu signed a six-year deal when he was 18, while Veiga signed a seven-year deal when he was 20.