Chelsea agree permanent deal for in-form loanee with sell-on clause included
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Chelsea and Middlesbrough have reached an agreement for a permanent transfer for on-loan attacking midfielder Leo Castledine, according to reports.
Castledine joined League One side Huddersfield on a season-long loan in July, but his remarkable campaign in the third-tier division has understandably generated a lot of interest from other clubs, including Championship sides.
The 20-year-old has racked up 10 goals and two assists from 17 starts (23 appearances in total) in League One so far, helping Huddersfield to stay in the top four in the competition.
This is such an impressive feat considering he missed almost four months of football last season after suffering a stress fracture in his lower back during his loan stint at Shrewsbury Town.
However, previous reports suggested that Chelsea were open to selling the versatile midfielder despite the loan agreement with Huddersfield amid interest from other clubs.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have now agreed to sell Castledine permanently to Championship side Middlesbrough, pending a medical.
The Italian journalist also mentioned that Chelsea and Middlesbrough have agreed to include a sell-on clause in the deal.
Another report from the Evening Standard added that Watford and Bristol City were among the other clubs that showed interest in Castledine, before Middlesbrough won the transfer race.
The fact that Castledine has entered the final 18 months of his contract with Chelsea likely played a part in the club's decision to cash in on the player.
Castledine joined Chelsea as an Under-15, and made his senior debut as a substitute in a 6-1 Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg win over Middlesbrough in January 2024.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.