A Newcastle United youth academy product, Ollie Harrison, has agreed a deal to join Chelsea’s U18s setup, according to a statement on the Chelsea official club website.

Touted as one of the best U18 stars that Newcastle had to offer, the news will come as a blow to Magpies fans, who may have been hoping that Harrison would stick around at St. James’ Park. Given his potential, it is distressing to see him leave.

The deal draws some interesting parallels with Newcastle’s acquisition of Chelsea starlet Lewis Hall – this time, it is a Newcastle player making the jump to Chelsea, rather than it being the other way around.

Last season, while playing for the Toon in the U18 Premier League, Harrison scored a single goal, alongside a pair of assists.

What did Chelsea have to say regarding the sale?

A statement on Chelsea’s official club website regarding the transfer reads: “Chelsea is pleased to confirm midfielder Ollie Harrison has joined the club after signing a scholarship agreement. The 16-year-old arrives from Newcastle United and will continue his development this season with our Under-18s, who started their campaign on Saturday with a victory over Crystal Palace.

“Harrison has been capped by England at under-16 level and was part of the side that this year won the Mondial Montaigu Tournament in France. Welcome to Chelsea, Ollie!”

Will Newcastle United come to regret letting Harrison go?

Ultimately, it is next to impossible to determine which youngsters will become superstars and who will not. With that being said, Harrison has a massive chance of doing so, given his almost limitless raw talent.

A natural midfielder, the Toon currently have no shortage of quality in the middle of the park – player such as Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes all spring to mind. As such, his departure will have no immediate effect on Newcastle’s squad.

Despite this, it is always disappointing to see a promising academy player jump ship – especially to a club in the same division. Sadly, given the pedigree of Chelsea’s academy, coupled with their mind-boggling swathes of financial resources, Harrison’s final decision is unsurprising.