"Full agreement between the clubs" - Fabrizio Romano says 21-year-old versatile Chelsea defender is close to leaving ahead of imminent medical 

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Serie A side Spezia have reached an agreement with Chelsea over a loan move for Ethan Ampadu. The 21-year-old has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Italian club and is expected to undergo a medical next week.

Ampadu joined Chelsea from Exeter City in the summer of 2017. He joined RB Leipzig on a season-long loan in 2019 after just 12 appearances in all competitions during his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge. However, he was unable to make an impact during his time in Germany.

Ampadu was loaned out to Sheffield United for the 2020-21 campaign and went on to make 29 appearances for the club.

The defender spent last season on loan with Serie A side Venezia, for whom he made 29 league appearances.

The youngster returned to Chelsea this summer and was given the chance to prove himself during the club's pre-season tour. Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is believed to be impressed by the 21-year-old's performances and versatility. However, the club signed have a wealth of defensive options.

The Blues have signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for €40 million and are closing in on the acquisition of Wesley Fofana from Leicester City for an initial fee of €82.5 million. They have also extended Cesar Azpilicueta's contract and opted to keep hold of Trevoh Chalobah.

Ampadu is therefore set to join Spezia on loan with an option to buy for €15 million. Romano recently took to Twitter to provide an update on Ampadu's move. He wrote:

"Ethan Ampadu deal, almost done as reported earlier — Spezia are set to complete contracts with Chelsea on loan move with buy option clause around €15m. 🚨🔵 #CFC"

"Medical scheduled early next week."

Ampadu will be keen to be a regular starter this season to improve his chances of hitting top form ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Another Chelsea youngster looks set to secure a loan move

Chelsea v Club América - Preseason Friendly

Chelsea youth academy product Callum Hudsoin-Odoi looks set to join Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan deal as per the Evening Standard.

The 21-year-old was promoted to the Blues' senior squad during the 2017-18 campaign. The winger was seen as one of the brightest young prospects at Stamford Bridge a couple of seasons ago. However, injuries and stiff competition for places resulted in him falling down the pecking order.

The England international has played 126 matches for the west London club across all competitions, scoring 16 goals and registering 26 assists.

Raheem Sterling's arrival from Manchester City has diminished the youngster's playing time even further this season. He is yet to feature for Tuchel's side and will be keen to play regular football to continue his development.