Who is new Chelsea signing Caleb Wiley?

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United, bringing the 19-year-old to West London on a six-year deal.

Wiley is a graduate of the Atlanta academy and made his debut for the team in 2022, going on to feature 85 times for the Five Stripes. The young full-back has provided six goals and seven assists in that time and was ranked among the most talented young defenders in MLS.

He was selected for the USMNT squad for this summer’s Olympic Games and is currently with the team in Paris, where they are preparing to face France in their opening fixture.

How much did Chelsea pay for Caleb Wiley?

Over the past two decades Chelsea have frequently spent big in the transfer market. But even by their standards the past two years has been an incredible period of splurge, spending more than $1.2 billion since May 2022.

This summer, however, they look to be going for a slightly more restrained approach, signing lesser-known young players for more modest sums. Caleb Wiley is the latest to fit that definition, costing Chelsea just under $11 million. So far this summer Chelsea have signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ($38m), Omari Kellyman ($24.5m), Renato Veiga ($15.2m), Caleb Wiley ($11m) and Marc Guiu ($6.5m).

Wiley is the latest Atlanta player to make the move to Europe but his history with the club and the city makes his rise a particular point of pride for the Eastern Conference team.

“Caleb epitomizes the pathway that we envisioned when we started this club,” said Carlos Bocanegra, Atlanta’s Vice President and Technical Director. “Born and raised in Atlanta, he joined our Academy at 11 years old, played for ATL UTD 2 and went on to earn every step in his path up to signing as a Homegrown... Now he can continue his career at a top club in Europe. We wish Caleb the best in this next challenge of his career and look forward to following his journey.