£6.7m for a Chelsea future: Tacita agrees move for 9 June

Chelsea’s present is a club still collecting silverware; its next chapter now has a name, a fee and a date. Ludovic Tacita, an 18-year-old left midfielder at AJ Auxerre, is set to join the Blues on 9 June after they agreed a £6.7m move on 8 April. The agreement became known today.

For Tacita, it is a leap from Ligue 2 BKT to a Chelsea side whose grip on English football remains extraordinary: their run of 41 consecutive English Premier Division titles is still going. The Frenchman is little known, but his ambition is not. He is delighted by the move, and the prospect of a place at a club whose players may be asked to cover different roles will suit a player comfortable wherever he is needed.

Chelsea’s left-midfield berth is hardly empty. Lionel Messi, Júnior, Roberto Baggio and Rubén Medina have all started there this season, with Messi the most frequent choice. Júnior has also scored 16 goals from his 20 starts in the position. Tacita arrives into competition, not an open door.

At Auxerre, the picture is more exposed. Silvio Paredes has started there twice this season, while Réginald Brun and Armin Memić have each started there once. Tacita’s departure will leave a gap for the French club, even as Chelsea add a young player who can offer options beyond one role.

They beat Newcastle United 1-0 in the English FA Cup semi-final today, and will host Rotherham United on 29 April in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. Tacita will not join in time for either: his Chelsea story starts in June, with the expectation already waiting.