Ethan Ampadu joins RB Leipzig on loan

Chelsea’s Welsh wonderkid Ethan Ampadu has joined Bundesliga side RB Leipzig on a season long loan deal.

The 18-year-old has featured 12 times for Chelsea since joining from Exeter City in 2017, and eight appearances for Wales have followed under Ryan Giggs.

Manager Frank Lampard expressed his desire for Ampadu to pick up regular game time elsewhere despite his strong admiration for the teenager.

“I tried to sign Ethan on loan at Derby last year so I’m a big fan, but with the minutes he played last year, in the interest of Ethan and of Chelsea, the idea he can play a lot of games somewhere could be good for him.

“I really wanted to work with Ethan this year. That’s a slight disappointment, but it’s to benefit of him. In midfield and defence we have a lot of quality, so each player is a case by case.”

Ampadu is expected to be joined by another young British export this summer, with Everton’s Ademola Lookman wanting to convert his previously successful loan move to ‘die Roten Bullen’ into a permanent one.

The former Charlton man spent the second half of 2017/18 in Leipzig and scored five goals in eleven Bundesliga matches. The fee is expected to be in the vicinity of £23m.

But Ampadu will look to usurp the success of his potential teammate in Germany and the likes of Jadon Sancho, Reiss Nelson and Reece Oxford who made great impressions in central Europe.