Chelsea
have completed the £30m signing of Leicester midfielder Kiernan
Dewsbury-Hall.
The 25-year-old joins new Blues manager Enzo Maresca in swapping the King
Power Stadium for Stamford Bridge this summer.
Dewsbury-Hall - who has signed a five-year deal with the option of a further
year - scored 12 Championship goals and registered 14 assists under Maresca
last season.
"It is amazing to be sitting here as a Chelsea player," Dewsbury-Hall told
the Chelsea website.
"This is a club people grow up watching and hoping to one day play for, so
it is a privilege to be here. I'm really excited to get going and can't wait
to show everybody what I can do."
The midfielder is Chelsea's fourth summer signing after deals were completed
for Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, Aston Villa midfielder Omari Kellyman
and Barcelona forward Marc Guiu.
The Dewsbury-Hall deal helps Leicester hugely towards meeting Profit and
Sustainability Rules (PSR) but it remains to be seen whether they will be
fully compliant.
Dewsbury-Hall's farewell to Leicester
Dewsbury-Hall penned an emotional farewell to Leicester on his Instagram
account having first joined the club when he was eight years old.
The 25-year-old went on to make 129 appearances for the club and wrote:
"Well what can I say? What a journey it's been. Seventeen years of my life
devoted to this club and it's been a pleasure. I've loved every minute of my
time at this football club and created some memories & friendships I'll
never forget.
"When we were relegated in the 2022/23 season, I felt personally responsible
for my part played in that. I made it my goal to ensure we got back to the
Premier League within the first season, as I know how devastating a position
that can be for a club if it doesn't happen.
"I'm very proud of what we achieved together last season - creating memories
of a lifetime for us all. But bigger than that, hopefully going some way to
righting the wrongs of that relegation season.
"The overwhelming amount of messages I've received in the past few days has
honestly touched me and I thank each and every person for taking the time to
do so, it means so much to me and my family. I want to thank all of the
team-mates I've played with, the coaches that l've worked with and fans that
l've grown with.
"I'm glad I'm leaving the club with them in the Premier League, where they
belong, and wish Leicester City all the best in the upcoming season and
further on. I'm one of your own, Leicester. But it's time for me to go now…"
Chelsea fixtures: Awkward Dewsbury-Hall
return in November?
Enzo Maresca will host former club Manchester City in his first Premier
League game as Chelsea head coach.
Maresca - who had two spells as a coach at City under Pep Guardiola -
replaced Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea this summer and will welcome his
former club to Stamford Bridge on Sunday August 18, live on Sky Sports,
kick-off 4.30pm.
The 44-year-old Italian was plucked from Leicester after guiding them back
to the Premier League and will return to the King Power Stadium when Chelsea
visit on Saturday November 23.
The Blues face a tricky period in October and November, playing Liverpool,
Newcastle, Manchester United and Arsenal in successive fixtures, while their
first meeting with Tottenham is on Saturday December 7, and they host Fulham
on Boxing Day.
Chelsea also look set for a daunting May, closing their top-flight campaign
with games against Liverpool, Newcastle and Man Utd, before travelling to
Nottingham Forest on the final day on Sunday May 25.
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