Ethan Ampadu

Chelsea F.Cs Ethan Ampadus hairstyle and composure on the ball has led many to compare him to his teammate David Luiz. Most adept at centre back but capable of playing in defensive midfield or either full-back positions, his versatility could help him break into the first team squad. After making his first Premier League start for Chelsea last season we are going to explore an in-depth player analysis of the Chelsea wonderkid.

Background

Ethan Ampadu joined Chelsea from Exeter on the 1st July 2017 after making 13 appearances. Chelsea was able to sign him cheaply as he was not under contract. A tribunal ordered Chelsea to pay up to £2.5 million, with only £1.3 million guaranteed, but with a 20% sell on clause.

He made his league debut for Exeter aged 15 years, 10 months and 26 days in August 2016. He also made his Wales debut in November 2017 and has 2 international caps. With Ashley Williams coming into the twilight of his career it would not be a surprise to see Ryan Giggs take a gamble on the young central defender.

At the age of 17, he has now played in the Premier League, F.A Cup and EFL Cup. His future looks bright but his former club Exeter feel hard done by.

Home-Grown Talent

The outcome of the tribunal in April 2018 left Exeter Football Club disappointed. Club chairman Julian Tagg said the ruling sends the wrong message to clubs looking to produce home-grown players. They believed that the financial rewards for these type of compensation fees should be higher. Early signs suggest that Ethan Ampadu could turn into a Chelsea and England regular but yet the compensation fee provides little rewards to Exeter if he does.

It opens up the argument of top clubs having too much power and influence. Small clubs start to question the value of developing players and if Exeter hadnt invested in their youth facilities, we may never have seen this exciting prospect.

Favoured Position

Since breaking into the Chelsea First Team, Ethan Ampadu has shown his versatility. A breakdown of his positions can be seen below.

His primary role is as a ball playing centre back. He is comfortable with both feet and provides an option to play out from the back. He can also play in holding midfield and left back. He has drawn comparisons to David Luiz and his passing ability makes it easy for him to transition into midfield. His versatility will be important if he is to break into the Chelsea first team. Should a starting player get injured or suspended he may get a chance in his less favoured positions.

His heat map shows he favo