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Chelsea FC is reportedly prepared to pay £30m for 17-year-old Jersey football star Luke Harris – just days after he signed his first professional contract with Fulham FC.
The Mirror claims that the top Premier League team have been keeping an eye on the young forward – who was recently called up to the Wales squad, making the bench for the last game against Belgium – since he scored a hat-trick in an under-21s game between local rivals Chelsea and Fulham earlier this year.
While Luke Harris’s new Fulham contract is supposed to last until 2025, it’s claimed that Chelsea is looking to swoop during the January transfer window and is lining up a deal “involving an initial £25m fee with further payments taking it to £30m”.
Harris’ footballing journey started in Jersey.
Pictured: National media speculation about Luke Harris's footballing future.
He played a key role in the St. Clement’s Primary School team, leading them to become the first Jersey side to win the Danone Nations Cup in 2016 at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium, before joining the Fulham Academy (pictured top).
The academy has a strong reputation for nurturing and growing young talent, with Liverpool players Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho among its alumni.
A recent article by The Athletic described Harris as “following in the…footsteps” of the latter as “Fulham’s next big thing.”
???????????????????????????? Senior @Cymru call-up.
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 16, 2022
???? Goal in the #PL Cup.
✍️ First professional deal at #FFC.
A week in the life of Luke Harris. pic.twitter.com/YiZ9ZIYgJT
Fulham head coach Marco Silva told the sports website that for Luke Harris to be called to the senior squad aged just 17 was a “very good statement.”
“I don’t have doubts that if everything goes in a normal way, he will have a great career ahead of him,” he added.
Harris, whose father is Welsh, said he was "buzzing" about making the Welsh team, while on his professional Fulham signing he said: "I'm really pleased to extend my time here at Fulham having been here from a young age."
"I love working hard for the team, and I just love winning."
— Wales ???????????????????????????? (@Cymru) September 20, 2022
Croeso to the Cymru camp, @lukeharris2005 ????#TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/U8EEaucK1O
Video: Harris speaking about joining Wales' national team - while he hasn't made tonight's line-up for the Nations League game against Poland, he was on the bench for their last game against Belgium.
He later added: "The Club means a lot to me and my family. I’m grateful to Fulham as they’ve given me opportunities and helped me progress from the Academy right through to the First Team."
Jersey teen signs professional contract with Fulham FC
FOCUS: From open-bus to top-flight: the rise of Jersey's Luke Harris
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