Chelsea Academy Quartet Confirm Departures as Contracts Expire
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 work at Cobham for a group who grew up in blue.
Hughes bows out after 13 years
Defender Brodi Hughes heads the list of departures. He joined Chelsea as an Under-8 and has spent 13 years coming through the age groups, a familiar presence on the training pitches at Cobham.
A versatile defender comfortable across the back line, Hughes spent last season on loan with AFC Wimbledon in League One, gaining senior experience before the club opted not to renew his deal. His exit ends one of the longest continuous academy journeys in the current crop.
Olise’s decade-long journey ends
Richard Olise also moves on after a decade with the club. Signed as an Under-9, he featured consistently through the youth sides and pushed 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 nod to the regard in which he was held inside the club. That night proved a high watermark in his climb, but it will now stand as part of a Chelsea story that stops short of a full senior debut.
Rak-Sakyi leaves after tasting first-team action
Midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi, who has already sampled first-team football, will also depart this summer. He joined the academy as an eight-year-old and rose through the ranks while representing England at youth level, marking him out early as one to watch.
His step into senior competition came in the 2024/25 season. Rak-Sakyi made his debut in the UEFA Conference League against Noah and went on to feature three more times in the same competition, four appearances that offered a glimpse of his potential on the European stage. The next phase of his career will now unfold away from Stamford Bridge.
Tauriainen moves on after first-team breakthrough
The final confirmed departure is Finnish youth international Jimi Tauriainen, who arrived at Chelsea in 2020 and steadily forced his way into first-team consideration.
He was named among the substitutes for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool in 2024, a significant milestone for any academy player. The real breakthrough followed quickly. In the next match, an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Leeds United, Tauriainen made his first-team debut, before going on to earn a Premier League bow later that season when he came off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur.
Those appearances hinted at a possible long-term role, but his time in west London will now close after four years.
Stutter signs short-term deal
One young forward will stay on, at least for now. Striker Ronnie Stutter has agreed a month-to-month contract with Chelsea, keeping him on the books while his longer-term future is assessed.
It is a different kind of decision, a short extension that buys the club and player a little more time in a summer of change.
Chelsea have thanked all four departing players for their contribution to the club and wished them well for the next chapter. The question now is where this group of Cobham graduates will write the next lines of their careers.
