According to Goal, Tariq Lamptey has shocked Frank Lampard by rejecting a contract extension offer from the Blues and agreeing to join Brighton for an undisclosed fee instead.
Lamptey is in the final year of his contract at Chelsea, and Blues boss Frank Lampard was sure that the teenager will sign the new deal after giving him his debut against Arsenal, where the youngster came on and excelled.
“We’ll see. He’s talking with the club and hopefully he feels a bit of love from today as we’ve parachuted him in,” Lampard told reporters when asked about the defender’s contract situation. “He was actually on his Christmas break when we called him in yesterday. He trained and then played.
“I’d seen him when I was doing my coaching badges and you do a lot of hours with the academy and youth team. I saw him train a lot and I know he has a different dimension as a right-sided wing back.
“He has pace, low centre of gravity and can go by people. Of course he wants to work on his end product and all the last bits.”
Brighton have been keen on a new right-back for the last two transfer windows and won over the Chelsea youngster by assuring him that he will get more first-team chances under Graham Potter.
Lamptey has just made three appearances for the Blues this season and also attracted bids from Lille and Torino.