Chelsea sign Honest Ahanor from Atalanta and loan him to Crystal Palace | OneFootball

Chelsea have announced the signing of Honest Ahanor from Atalanta.

Ahanor will now move to Crystal Palace on loan for the rest of the season before linking with Chelsea next summer.

The 18-year-old began his career at Genoa, where he made his senior debut against Juventus in September 2024.

Ahanor joined Atalanta in a deal worth £17 million plus bonuses last summer. He made 35 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal.

He made his senior international debut as a substitute in a friendly against Luxembourg in June, before being handed his first start against Greece.

The Genoa academy graduate is a left-footed centre-back known for his athleticism, one-on-one defending, ball-carrying and dribbling.

Having established himself as one of the most promising young defenders in Italian football, Ahanor attracted Chelsea’s attention.

The Blues have enough centre-back options for the season, particularly without European football, which is why Ahanor will spend the campaign on loan at Palace before joining Chelsea.

Ahanor will get some Premier League experience and continue his development with the Eagles.

With Palace manager Pierre Sage using a three-man defence, Ahanor can continue developing in a system he is already familiar with after playing in the same formation at Atalanta.

The young defender missed Atalanta’s opening two Serie A games. He will hope to feature in Palace’s Premier League trip to Fulham on Saturday.