Derby County and Aston Villa are said to be interested in Chelsea’s 18-year-old defender who is already a full Wales international.
Aston Villa and Derby County have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Chelsea defender Ethan Ampadu.
The talented 18-year-old made seven appearances under Antonio Conte last season, after signing for the Blues from Exeter City in last year’s summer transfer window.
However, he is yet to appear for Chelsea this term under new head coach Maurizio Sarri; a fact that has prompted speculation about his short-term future.
Ampadu is certainly seen as part of the Stamford Bridge outfit’s long-term strategy, given he signed a new five-year contract just two months ago.
However, the five-time Wales international may be interested in getting first-team football on a loan basis come January in a bid to pick up more experience.
According to Goal.com, Ampadu is believed to have been given the green light by his parent club to seek pastures new until the end of the season.
The report also states that Villa and Derby are likely to pursue a move for the teenager and could make use of their Chelsea connections to put them at the top of the list.
Former Chelsea captain John Terry is assistant manager at Villa Park, while Frank Lampard is the Rams’ manager.
In addition, both clubs currently have Chelsea players within their ranks, with Tammy Abraham at Villa and Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori at Derby.
As EFL rules state that up to four players can be loaned from any one club, as long as no more than two of those are over 23, both teams may fancy their chances of securing Ampadu’s services.
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