Chelsea Academy Quartet Confirmed to Leave Club

Chelsea have confirmed that four long-serving academy players will leave the club when their contracts expire on 30 June, drawing a line under years of development work at Cobham and opening the door to new chapters elsewhere.

Brodi Hughes, a Chelsea player since the age of eight, departs after 13 years in the system. The defender, comfortable across the back line, climbed through every age group before spending last season on loan at League One side AFC Wimbledon, where he gained his first sustained taste of senior football. For a player who has grown up in blue, it is a significant break.

Another decade-long association ends with the departure of Richard Olise. Signed as an Under-9, Olise became a familiar presence in the youth ranks and edged close to a breakthrough this season. His progress was underlined when he was named in the first-team squad for Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League trip to Astana in the 2024/25 campaign, a clear signal of how highly he was regarded within the setup.

Midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi will also move on this summer. He joined the club as an eight-year-old and, like so many before him, threaded his way through the academy pathway while representing England at youth level. Rak-Sakyi made four first-team appearances for Chelsea, all in the UEFA Conference League. His debut came against Noah in the 2024/25 season, and he featured three more times in the competition, offering glimpses of his composure and range in midfield on the European stage.

The final confirmed departure is that of Finnish youth international Jimi Tauriainen, who arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2020 and quickly caught the eye with his technical quality. Tauriainen was named among the substitutes for the 2024 Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, a sign of trust on one of English football’s biggest domestic occasions. The real breakthrough followed days later: he made his first-team debut in the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Leeds United, then went on to taste Premier League football later that season when he came off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur.

One forward will remain, at least for now. Striker Ronnie Stutter has agreed to move onto a month-to-month contract with Chelsea, keeping his immediate future tied to the club while longer-term decisions are shaped.

Chelsea have thanked all four departing players for their contribution and service across their formative years at Cobham. The club now watches on as they step away from the academy environment and try to turn those foundations into full senior careers.