Chelsea continue their academy rebuild after stealing 16-year-old Tyler Dibling from Southampton in £1.5m transfer

CHELSEA are set to sign England Under-17 international Tyler Dibling from Southampton in a deal worth £1.5million.

An agreement has been made for the 16-year-old attacking midfielder, who will be the latest addition to Cobham’s academy.

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He will hope to emulate the likes of Mason Mount and make strides towards the first team.

Teenage wonderkid Dibling went viral last season after scoring a fantastic hat-trick of virtually identical goals with his left boot for the Southampton under-23s.

The transfer news, reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano, comes just days after the signing of 18-year-old Zak Sturge from Brighton.

The left-back turned down another contract at the Amex in favour of joining the Blues.

Dibling will also join new signing Omari Hutchinson, who has recently moved from Arsenal.

While Chelsea have been busy strengthening their academy, first-team signings have been a little more sparing.

After the departure of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, fans will be hoping Tuchel can sign another central defender before the Premier League campaign gets underway.

Romelu Lukaku will also be absent from the squad this season due to his loan back to Inter.

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The additions of Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling will boost the Blues.

But further additions may be necessary if Tuchel’s side are to challenge for the title.