Chelsea have signed midfielder Oriol Romeu on a four-year contract from Barcelona for £4.35 million.
The 19-year-old is the second signing of the summer under Chelsea’s new boss André Villas-Boas.
His deal includes a buy-back clause of €10 million after one year and €15 million after two for Barcelona.
Romeu will join his new teammates at Stamford Bridge once he has finished playing for Spain at the Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.
He has played in both of their games so far, a 4-1 victory over Costa Rica and 2-0 win over Ecuador.
Romeu made two first-team appearances for Barcelona last season, making his first-team debut at the end of last season, but he was not part of boss Pep Guardiola’s long-term plans at the Nou Camp.
Romeu, who spent most of the campaign playing for their B team in the Spanish second division, said earlier this week: “Chelsea is a great option for me.
“Leaving Barca hurts, but you have to take your chances.”
Romeu’s signing comes as great news for Villas-Boas, who will be without Michael Essien for six months.
The 28-year-old Ghana international ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus during pre-season training.
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