Chelsea agree deal to sign Wigan talent Harrison Bettoni | OneFootball

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign talented midfielder Harrison Bettoni, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 18-year-old is expected to complete his move to West London in the coming days following his departure from Wigan Athletic on a free transfer.

While Chelsea aren’t paying a penny in transfer fees, the Blues will reportedly compensate Wigan for the promising youngster.

The highly rated attacking midfielder is set to sign a four-year contract with Chelsea, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2030.

Bettoni racked up valuable first-team experience during the 2025/26 campaign. He started nine of his 21 appearances for the Latics in League One and scored three times.

He also scored in one of his three FA Cup appearances for Wigan, which proved to be the match-winner in this 1-0 victory over Preston North End in the third round.

Since coming through Wigan’s academy, Bettoni has made 27 appearances for the first team. Despite being a natural attacking midfielder, he can also deputise as a striker when necessary.

Having already shown that he can hold his own in senior football, Chelsea could decide to send him out on loan once the move is finalised.

Bettoni will likely spend some time settling into the club and getting acquainted with his new environment. But spending a season with Chelsea’s Under-21s doesn’t seem to be in the long-term plan.

The Blues are expected to send him out on loan to secure regular first-team football and continue his development.

The obvious move would be loaning him to a League One side who are expected to push for promotion next season. A return to Wigan is also an option, allowing him to continue his development in a familiar environment.

However, Chelsea will only consider that option if they agree to give Bettoni regular first-team minutes.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are still in the market for fresh recruits as they look to strengthen Xabi Alonso’s options heading into the new season.

The Blues have already signed Marco Palestra and are working on a deal for Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria to replace Marc Cucurella.