Chelsea completes signing of Baba Rahman from FC Augsburg
FC Augsburg left full-back Baba Rahman has joined English champions Chelsea, the German outfit announced Sunday.
Rahman, a Ghanaian international, joins Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, which is reported to be in the range of £20 million. He featured in 31 matches last season for Augsburg.
Rahman provides cover for Spanish left full-back Cesar Azpilicueta, after the club sold Filipe Luis to Atletico Madrid.
Official: @babarahmangh leaves #FCA and joins @ChelseaFC! Good luck for your future, #Baba! http://t.co/xCHOZD1Gia pic.twitter.com/mRY0Xc55TL
— FC Augsburg (@FCAugsburg) August 16, 2015
The 21-year-old is a young option for Jose Mourinho's backline, allowing Kurt Zouma to return to his favoured central defensive position. Rahman recorded four assists last season with Augsburg and offers a physical style of play, which was good for an average of 3.5 tackles per game in 2014-15.
"I am very happy to sign for Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I can't wait to train with my new team-mates and very much looking forward to working with them and Mr. Mourinho," Rahman told Chelsea's website. "I am also looking forward to having the opportunity to meet the fans as soon as possible.
"I thank all the (Augsburg) coaches and fans for their support last year," Rahman told Augsburg's official website, translated by Sky Sports. "This is a chance to play at a top club in England, even if I had actually set myself on a long-term stay in Augsburg a year ago."
Augsburg general manager Stefan Reuter thanked Rahman for his contributions, saying the young defender "has made a great leap in his year with us.
"It's not just an award for his achievements, but also for our work, if international giants like Chelsea are interested. We wish him well in England."