Chelsea have agreed a deal worth up to £40m to sign Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, with the 18-year-old given permission to complete a medical in London and personal terms already in place, according to BBC Sport.
The deal so far
BBC Sport reported on 27 August 2026 that Chelsea had agreed terms worth up to £40m for Ahanor. The medical still needs to be completed before the move is finalised.
Ahanor has agreed personal terms with Chelsea and has permission to travel to London for his medical.
Chelsea’s interest in Ahanor
Atalanta rejected a £29m (€34m) bid from Brighton for Ahanor earlier in the summer. Chelsea first expressed an interest in the defender when they signed right-back Marco Palestra from the Serie A club in July.
Ahanor joined Atalanta from Genoa last summer on a three-year deal for a reported €16m, plus €4m in add-ons.
What Chelsea are getting
Ahanor mainly plays at left-back and made 28 Serie A appearances for Atalanta last season, establishing himself as a regular starter. He also made his Champions League debut in a 2-1 win against Club Brugge in September.
In May, the 18-year-old was called up by Italy for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.
Where he fits under Alonso
It remains unclear whether Chelsea plan to involve Ahanor in Xabi Alonso’s squad this season. His representatives have said he could immediately move on loan to another Premier League club.
Alonso has been building his squad since taking over at Stamford Bridge in July, signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a club-record £117m and adding Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.
Upcoming fixture
Chelsea face Brighton at home in the Premier League on Sunday after beating Fulham 3-2 in their opening match of the season on Monday.
