Chelsea prepared to offer £30 million in exchange for Fulham starlet: Reports

According to The Mirror, Chelsea are sizing up a deal worth £30 million to sign 17-year-old midfielder Luke Harris from Fulham.

Harris signed his first professional contract at Craven Cottage earlier this month. However, he has been on the radar of the Blues since scoring a hat-trick against them in an under-21 game.

Fulham have produced some of the finest talents in the Premier League in recent times, with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho now plying their trade at Liverpool.

Harris is identified as the youngster with the most potential among the new bunch of players coming up from the academy.

It is understood that Graham Potter's side are willing to shell out an initial fee of £25 million, which could potentially rise up to £30 million, to secure the player's signature.

Chelsea currently lack depth in their striker pool. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who arrived from Barcelona on transfer deadline day, and Armando Broja are the only two recognized centre forwards in the team at the moment.

Hence, adding a talent like Harris in January could be a prudent decision for Todd Boehly's team.

Harris was elated to sign his first professional contract earlier this season as he stated:

"I'm really pleased to extend my time here at Fulham having been here from a young age. I couldn’t have done it without my parents who sacrificed a lot for me, driving me away on the weekends as a young kid, so they deserve a lot of credit. I’m enjoying my football and I'm very excited for what lies ahead." (h/t mirror.co.uk)

Fulham manager Marco Silva had this to say about the player:

"He will get games, he will be on the bench, he will have some minutes. We have to be patient with him, and not push pressure around him. Now we have to help him grow as a player. He will have his time in the First Team, because he has the quality."

Chelsea star Thiago Silva hints at extending career

Chelsea Fstar thiago Silva

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva recently celebrated his 38th birthday. Despite his age, the player isn't showing any signs of slowing down and is keen to continue his career till 40.

Here's what the former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain defender told the club's official website:

"My aim is to play until I’m 40 years old but I don’t know if it will be this level or this competition. It depends on this season and we’ll see what will happen in the World Cup. It also depends on a contract extension but yeah, my aim is to play until I’m 40."