Chelsea Confirm Departures of Four Long-Serving Academy Players

Chelsea have confirmed that four players will leave the club when their contracts expire on 30 June, drawing a line under a series of long academy journeys at Cobham.

Hughes ends 13-year Chelsea story

For Brodi Hughes, it brings the curtain down on 13 years in blue. He arrived at Chelsea as an Under-8, one of those kids who grow up with the badge stitched into their identity, and climbed methodically through the age groups at Cobham.

A versatile defender, Hughes spent last season on loan at League One side AFC Wimbledon, tasting the realities of senior football away from the security of academy life. Now, after more than a decade of development, he steps away in search of the next stage of his career.

Olise departs after decade of promise

Richard Olise follows him out of the door after ten years with the club. Signed as an Under-9, the defender became a familiar figure across the youth sides and pushed himself into first-team contention during the 2024/25 campaign.

His progress earned him a place in the senior squad for Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League trip to Astana, a clear signal that the club rated his potential and trusted his temperament on the European stage. That night will stand as a landmark in a Chelsea chapter that now comes to an end.

Rak-Sakyi moves on after first-team breakthrough

Midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi will also leave this summer, bringing to a close a Chelsea association that began when he was eight. Like so many at Cobham, he rose through the ranks with England youth recognition running alongside his club progress.

Rak-Sakyi made four first-team appearances for Chelsea, all in the UEFA Conference League. He debuted against Noah in the competition during the 2024/25 season and featured three more times in Europe, a valuable taste of senior football that hinted at what might yet come elsewhere.

Tauriainen’s brief but vivid first-team moments

The final confirmed departure is Jimi Tauriainen, whose Chelsea spell began in 2020. The Finnish youth international edged close to the limelight in 2024, when he was named among the substitutes for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

That brush with Wembley was quickly followed by a genuine breakthrough. In the next match, an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Leeds United, Tauriainen made his first-team debut. A Premier League appearance soon followed later that season, coming off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur. They were short bursts, but they were big stages – the sort of cameos young players dream about when they first arrive at Cobham.

Stutter stays on short-term terms

There is one foot still in the door. Striker Ronnie Stutter will remain at the club on a month-to-month contract, a flexible arrangement that keeps his immediate future tied to Chelsea while longer-term decisions take shape.

Chelsea have thanked all four departing players for their contributions and wished them well as they step into the next phase of their careers. For Hughes, Olise, Rak-Sakyi and Tauriainen, the academy years are over. The real test begins now.