Chelsea Tracking Little-Known Getafe Star Man Who Has Stunned La Liga, Relevo Reports

Premier League side Chelsea is believed to be one of the many teams to have contacted Getafe over the availability of their midfielder Chrisantus Uche, who only joined the Spanish club this summer.

Uche signed for Getafe from third division side Ceuta for a fee of less than €500,000 ($541,000) in the summer, only having initially moved to Spain from Nigeria in November 2022.

Starting as a defender, he hit the ground running and impressed for both Moralo CP and Ceuta, earning a move to La Liga with Getafe. Playing in regional leagues for Moralo, he caught the eye of Ceuta, who signed him for a fee of just €800 ($866) before selling him to Getafe less than two years later.

His debut in the top flight of Spanish soccer was unforgettable, as coach José Bordalás used him as a makeshift center-forward. He scored on his first game against Athletic Club to earn his team a 1-1 draw and provide one of the storylines of the opening weekend of the season.

“He is a young boy, who has arrived and has surprised us all. Perhaps we have generated excessive expectations and responsibility for a boy who has just arrived in professional soccer, in a different league, in a different country, because he has only been in Spain for a short time," Bordalás reflected on his midfielder in a recent press conference.

His coach at Getafe later added, "our rivals know that he is a player who holds the ball well, a player who is powerful, who is direct, who is capable of breaking through defensive lines".

It was Bordalás who spotted Uche playing for Ceuta in late 2023, requesting his signing to club president Ángel Torres. The move eventually came to fruition in the summer, after Ceuta lost in a promotion play-off from Primera RFEF as they fell to Gimnàstic 4-3 on aggregate.

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Getafe were one of several teams interested in Uche's services, though Getafe were one of few to offer a place in the first team squad, with Bordalás proving pivotal to getting the deal over the line.

Chelsea among the teams interested

Spanish media outlet Relevo claim that Premier League team Chelsea is just one of the outfits to approach Getafe regarding a potential transfer for the Nigerian.

At just 21 years of age, there is a high potential resale value for the midfielder if he settles in well and continues to progress, as he has done by rapidly ascending through the ranks of Spanish soccer.

Having been ever-present, playing in every Getafe game this season to date, he has become a crucial player for the Azulones and the club is unlikely to allow him to leave easily. Despite that, he could be available at a bargain price. Uche is believed to have a release clause in his contract set for a fee in the region of €5 million ($5.4 million) to €10 million ($10.8 million).

There are a number of clubs monitoring the youngster, who is expected to be called up imminently to Nigeria's senior squad, after scouts from the national team were sent to watch him play in Madrid.

Contracted until 2028, Uche's value is likely to increase further and Getafe may look to secure his long-term future on a new deal with a higher release clause if a team like Chelsea does not act quickly.