Millwall set to sign Chelsea youngster Zak Sturge on a permanent deal

Millwall set to sign Chelsea youngster Zak Sturge on a permanent deal

Chelsea youngster Zak Sturge is on the verge of joining Millwall on a permanent deal after impressing on loan last season.

The 20-year-old made a loan move to the Lions in February, making five appearances where he impressed the club enough to pursue a the youngster in an attempt to make the deal permanent. Sturge spent time in Brighton's academy before moving to Chelsea in 2022 and would leave the West London club without a first team appearance.0

Sturge's Chelsea contract runs until the summer of 2026 and reports from The Express and the BBC0report that a deal has been agreed between the two clubs. Millwall's boss, Alex Neil, spoke highly of the youngster following his debut earlier this season as the head coach was likely thinking of bringing him in just months later.0

"He did well. There were just a couple of times, obviously he’s really eager, he sort of pops that ball and runs beyond it before we secured it. So a couple of little bits to improve on.0

"I thought he was competitive in the air. I thought you could see he’s athletic, handles the ball well. There’s nothing better when you’re a young lad that’s come in, got on the pitch and your team wins 1-0 right at the death so he’ll be delighted with that."0

The defender started his career at Cre8tive Football Academy before joining Brighton & Hove Albion’s academy in 2019. He switched to Chelsea in 2022, where he played for the academy and the England under-18s. He had League One experience after a loan with Peterborough in the 2023-24 season, making fifteen appearances and will be a welcome addition to Millwall heading into the new campaign.0