Chelsea’s transfer business has caused eyebrows to creep upwards once again, as the west London club closes in on the unlikely £19 million ($24m) signing of 18-year-old Aston Villa prospect Omari Kellyman – a player with just six senior appearances to his name. But is this a case of the Blues continuing their strategy of snapping up the best young talent around, or something more sinister?
With Ian Maatsen set to move the other way in a separate deal, some sceptics have suggested that Kellyman is simply being used as a pawn by two clubs who are at grave risk of breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), and therefore desperate to balance the books before the end of football’s financial year and the deadline for compliance, June 30.
Wherever the truth lies, Kellyman’s name is in the headlines and he is set to become part of the first-team set-up at Stamford Bridge. But just who is Chelsea’s latest teenage recruit?
Where it all began
Born in Derby to a Northern Irish mother and Jamaican father in 2005, Kellyman joined the academy of his local team Derby County aged just six and would immediately be thrown in alongside kids two years his senior.
There he would remain for a decade, progressing through the age groups and earning a place in the Under-18s squad when he was still just 16. He was even named on the bench for the Championship clash against Bournemouth in November 2021 by then-manager Wayne Rooney.
However, in March 2022 Aston Villa came calling as they looked to capitalise on the Rams’ precarious financial situation, with the club in administration and headed towards relegation to League One. The Villans paid a reported £600,000 ($760,000) in compensation to sign the youngster, and having already featured for the U21s, he signed his first professional contract in September that year.
“He is a local lad from Derby, he didn’t want to leave the club. He wanted to play for Derby County and so when you see young local lads getting sold from the football club it is hard. I am not from Derby but I know what it is like to come through an academy and have those dreams of playing for your team. It is a tough one from me and the staff to take.”
The big break
As he found his feet at Villa, Kellyman was swiftly promoted from the U18s to the U21s as he impressed at Bodymoor Heath.
February and March 2023 would prove to be fundamental to his progress; Kellyman was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for the former after making five goal contributions in just three games, including a goal and two assists against Sunderland’s U21s.
The following month, Kellyman seized the opportunity to impress first-team manager Unai Emery as he was included in the squad for a behind-closed-doors friendly against Bristol Rovers during the international break. With the Villans 3-0 down, the youngster was introduced off the bench and reduced the arrears with what his club described as a “superb placed effort from the edge of the box”.
Then, in May, Kellyman starred as Villa triumphed at the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens tournament, scoring a brace in the final as he was named the best player at the event. By that point, he had done enough to earn himself a place in the club’s pre-season plans on tour in the United States, featuring off the bench against Newcastle in Philadelphia. He was then handed his full professional debut in Villa’s Europa Conference League qualifying round second leg against Hibernian in August, grabbing an assist in a 3-0 victory.
How it’s going
His senior debut did not preface a breakthrough season in 2023-24, however, but Kellyman continued on an upward trajectory in the PL2 and was semi-regularly included in Emery’s first-team squad without getting on the pitch.
He was rewarded with a new contract after starting the season fast with the U21s – scoring four times in just two games – and although an injury would hamper his progress, he would finish the season with seven strikes in just 11 PL2 appearances. Kellyman landed some silverware in May, too, as he helped Villa win a first Birmingham Senior Cup since 1985 – scoring and providing an assist in the final.
The teenager was afforded a smattering of first-team opportunities throughout the campaign – most notably making his Premier League debut against Manchester City in April at the Etihad Stadium in a 13-minute cameo. He was also given valuable European experience off the bench against Ajax and Olympiacos in the Conference League. Despite those limited senior exploits, that was evidently enough to get Chelsea’s attention.
Biggest strengths
Kellyman’s towering 6’2 frame has certainly given him a physical edge in the PL2, making him a formidable opponent for defenders even if they are one or two years older than him. He combines his imposing frame with pace, as his long legs carry him quickly across the grass, vision, and an eye for goal – all the attributes required to become a top-level forward player. His versatility is another valuable asset, with the 18-year-old comfortable in attacking midfield and anywhere across the frontline.
Speaking in 2022, Villa’s academy manager Mark Harrison said: “We have been very pleased with his development so far. He has a lot of potential as an attacking midfielder and we look forward to seeing him fulfil it.”
He seems to have the right mentality to succeed, too. In a message of congratulations when he signed his first professional contract with Villa, Kellyman’s secondary school said: “Omari is an amazing role model for our young people. He was a respectful, humble, hard-working and successful student throughout his time with us.”
That was echoed to The Athletic by Derby’s local recruitment manager Josh Butler: “The extent of his success will be circumstantial because it won’t be down to talent or attitude. His greatest strength is that you can’t not like him. He’s an absolute dream for a football club.”
Room for improvement
Given his career is in his infancy, there are no notable flaws to Kellyman’s game that you would not expect from a teenager who has only been on the fringes of the first team at Aston Villa.
If we are nit-picking, though, his end product and decision-making in the final third are perhaps something he will want to work on. In November 2023, he also suffered a serious hamstring injury that sidelined him for more than two months – somewhat alarming given how young he is. Chelsea could certainly do without any more of their players being injury prone.
Emery believes he needs to get stronger, saying after a friendly in 2023: “Omari for 45 minutes today I think was very good and he did brilliant, in moments he showed his quality and his skill and of course, he has to improve and be stronger in his body but we are working on it.”
The next… Kai Havertz?
A rangy forward player with quick feet who poses an aerial threat, Kellyman is arguably most similar to former Chelsea star Kai Havertz in terms of big names in the modern era. Like the Germany international, Kellyman is capable of operating across the frontline or in his preferred position as an attacking midfielder, and he is a bustling ball-carrier who has the strength and technique to keep hold of the ball.
The teenager is perhaps closer to the player that Havertz used to be as an eye-catching youngster at Bayer Leverkusen, before much of his flair was drilled out of him at Chelsea as he became a functional cog in their system – willing to take on his man, throw a trick and beat his marker with a perfectly-executed piece of skill.
“Omari still plays with the same personality,” Butler told The Athletic. “He tries flicks over people’s heads, shots from ridiculous distances and plays with freedom. I’d love to say this was something we did for him – in truth, we just gave him a platform to practice.”
What comes next?
Although Chelsea’s intentions are unclear as they look to fall in line with PSR, Kellyman’s short-term future at the very least lies in west London. The 18-year-old is set to sign a six-year deal with the Blues as he completes what seems a costly switch from Aston Villa for a player with barely any first-team experience, with the fee set at around £19m.
It has been reported that Kellyman will form part of new head coach Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad at Stamford Bridge, but there will already be doubts over his likely involvement given his lack of experience, competition for places and the possibility he was signed simply to help balance the books.
Nevertheless, Kellyman has the ability to make an impression if he is given an opportunity, and the early stages of the Conference League could provide him with the ideal platform to show what he can do. Even if his long-term future does not lie at Chelsea, this season could be a springboard for the rest of his career if he can catch the eye.
