Chelsea have announced that a second academy graduate has left the club on Wednesday morning with Bashir Humphreys linking up with Burnley.
Preceding the aforementioned deal, the Blues confirmed that Conor Gallagher had finally sealed his transfer to Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £36m.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have taken a liking to cashing in on homegrown talent in order to bolster Chelsea's position with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability regulations.
Humphreys fits the same criteria and has been allowed to make the switch to Turf Moor, initially on a season-long loan deal.
Burnley have specified that they hold the option of purchasing the centre-back on a permanent basis at the end of 2024-25.
A new home! See you all very soon at Turf Moor. Can't wait to get started. 🫶🏽 pic.twitter.com/Gg4P8xuNm4
— Bashir Humphreys (@HumphreysBashir) August 21, 2024
"It makes so much sense"
Supporters of both clubs could be forgiven for assuming that Humphreys was making reference to Chelsea's relentless pursuit of talent outside of the club when stating that "it makes so much sense" to sign for Burnley.
However, the 21-year-old was acknowledging that he has the ideal opportunity to further his career at a club that currently top the Championship.
Speaking to the club's official website, Humphreys said: "It feels great! It's an amazing club! It makes so much sense for the next step in my career.
"Burnley is a club with huge ambitions, the owners know what they're doing, and they really want to push the club on as much as possible.
"The Gaffer here is great! I had really good conversations with him and that's always pivotal when it comes to transfers. It was completely perfect, everything he was saying to me. He knew about my game; he wants to work with me and help me improve. That's all you want to hear as a player."
The latest addition to Scott Parker's squad 💪 pic.twitter.com/Q68WgKieoE
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) August 21, 2024
How has Humphreys's career panned out so far?
To a certain extent, Humphreys's development has gone under the radar. His debut came in January 2023, completing the 90 minutes as the Blues lost 4-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup third round.
He would later go out on loan to German second-tier side Paderborn, where he made 13 outings, before starting the last campaign with another outing for Chelsea, this time in a 2-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup second round.
From there, a temporary move to Swansea City materialised, the England Under-21 international going on to make 24 outings in the Championship.
Burnley ultimately hope that the experience will stand him in good stead for his time in the North-West of England, where he could act as a direct replacement for Dara O'Shea if a Premier League club follows up their interest in the Republic of Ireland international.
