Ethan Ampadu has signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea before joining Italian side Venezia on loan for the 2021/22 season.

The Welsh international committed his long-term future to the Blues until 2024, but will continue his development on loan in Serie A this term.

It is the third loan spell of the 20-year-old’s career, having spent time in the English and German top flights, with Sheffield United and RB Leipzig respectively, playing alongside Timo Werner at the latter.

Although his playing time at Leipzig was limited, it did include reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, and he made 33 appearances for the Blades last season, 29 of which came in the Premier League.

The versatile centre-back or midfielder also played in all three of Wales’ group games as they reached the knockout stages of Euro 2020 in the summer, having been a regular for his country since making his debut aged 17.

Ampadu joined Chelsea from Exeter City in 2017 and became our eighth-youngest debutant in a Carabao Cup game that September. He has so far made 12 appearances in his Blues career, seven of them starts, most recently featuring on three occasions in our 2018/19 successful Europa League campaign.

Venezia won promotion to Italy’s top flight last season. They are yet to pick up a point from their opening two league games.