The transfer of Ghanaian attacking midfielder Christian Atsu to Chelsea has been officially confirmed. Atsu signed a 5-year contract with Chelsea after his move from FC Porto. However, due to strong competition within Chelsea’s squad, Atsu has been immediately loaned out for a season to Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands. Vitesse Arnhem is a club in partnership with Chelsea and regularly receives young players from the Blues on loan, including Kakuta, Piazon, and Marc van Ginkel.
Atsu, 21 years old, is a Ghanaian international who featured prominently in the recent Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) with the Black Stars. He was recruited by Porto in January 2010 from Cheetah FC. Despite facing challenges establishing himself at Porto, Atsu had a loan spell at Rio Ave in the following year, playing 30 games and scoring 6 goals. He returned to Porto last summer, where he participated in 17 matches before securing the move to Chelsea.
The loan to Vitesse Arnhem provides Atsu with an opportunity for regular playing time and further development.
