2.5 million for Ethan Ampadu is a steal

Bengaluru, May 7: Chelsea had signed the promising 17-year-old Welsh international Ethan Ampadu from Exeter City in the summer. Recently a tribunal determined Chelsea to pay up to £2.5m to the League two club.

Julian Tagg, Exeter’s chairman said of the decision, "Above all we're disappointed for football as we feel this decision sends a wrong message in terms of financial reward for those, who're producing talented homegrown players for both club and country.”

Ampadu made his Exeter debut aged just 15 years 330 days in August, 2016, and has made seven cup appearances for Chelsea so far while also featuring for his country.

He was also included in Goal.com’s NxtGen 50 list featuring the most promising teenage footballers from around the world alongside the likes of Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Ajax’s Justin Kluivert.

Ampadu certainly made an impression at his new club before injury curtailed his season. He displays a great understanding of the game and looks comfortable on the ball. Given his physique, the positions he occupies on the field and the ability in dead ball situations, many have tipped him to be the next David Luiz.

In the modern day transfer market where all boundaries of commonsense have been blurred, £2.5 m for such a promising teenager is much more than a bargain. Even though it is the seventh highest fee paid for a League two player, the potential he has and the sell on fee Chelsea will eventually command, pales in comparison to what Exeter will receive. They spent a decade to develop this player and the tribunal's decision to award this fee will leave a sour taste.

This will discourage many lower league clubs from developing players as many of them rely on working with rough talents and selling them to bigger clubs as a major form of revenue.

Now the onus is on the Chelsea’s coaching staff to develop the player so that he fulfills his undoubted potential, otherwise the Welshman could become a victim of Chelsea’s infamous loaning system which has always divided opinion.