[Mike McGrath] Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea in fight for England Under-19 defender | Exclusive: Fulham teenager Samuel Amissah, who is out of contract in the summer, has been tipped for a bright future

**Article:**

Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are poised for a battle to sign England Under-19 centre-back Samuel Amissah from Fulham.

**Amissah, 18, is expected to make the biggest move this summer by a Premier League youth player who has recently broken into senior football.**

The teenager, whose Fulham contract runs out in three months’ time, **has been named on the bench seven times this season by manager Marco Silva.**

Fulham are also aware of interest from European clubs, with Ajax, Juventus and Marseille watching Amissah.

**His expiring contract means he can move to a Premier League rival in the summer, with a tribunal setting a fee**. He could also move abroad for a smaller compensation fee.

But there is serious interest in England, where clubs are willing to invest in youth players in the hope they stake claims for first-team football. One example is Rio Ngumoha, who moved from Chelsea to Liverpool in 2024 and is playing for Arne Slot’s senior team now.

**Amissah, who can also play defensive midfield or full-back, is viewed as a talent with potential to play in the Premier League in the next few years, with Arsenal watching him this season. Chelsea and United are also looking to add to their youth squads with the best talent.**

**While the focus has been on United’s first-team recruitment, they have also brought youngsters to the club such as Ayden Heaven from Arsenal and Paraguay full-back Diego León from Cerro Porteño.**

Fulham signed Amissah when Brentford’s academy disbanded and he agreed professional terms in 2024 while playing for the club’s under-18s and under-21s. He has also captained England Under-17s at the European Championship and is in the under-19 squad.

At this point why go to Chelsea?, They used to bring in academy lads, but academy players nowadays are just there to being sold or traded to other teams.