Chelsea are set to beat their competition in the race for highly rated Wigan Athletic teenage prospect Harrison Bettoni.

Chelsea are expected to sign Wigan Athletic teenager Harrison Bettoni, according to a report by Football Insider, beating Manchester City in the race for the highly rated attacking midfielder.

Bettoni has only recently emerged on the market, with suggestions that he is not expected to sign a new deal with Wigan Athletic. The news has attracted plenty of top-flight attention, as well as interest from clubs in Europe. Chelsea are expected to win the race for the highly rated teenager, beating the likes of Manchester City in the process.

Wigan Athletic have done their best behind the scenes to convince Bettoni to sign a new deal and continue his development with the club. However, the growing interest from elsewhere, particularly from Premier League teams, appears to have helped the player make up his mind.

Chelsea to sign Harrison Bettoni?

Chelsea and Manchester City were both interested in the 18-year-old English attacking midfielder, according to Football Insider. The two Premier League giants have been extremely active in the youth market for many years, and Bettoni’s imminent availability has made him a priority for Chelsea. A move for Bettoni would underline Chelsea’s commitment to youth recruitment, should they complete the deal ahead of Manchester City.

The Blues are expected to pay a modest compensation fee, although the figure remains unclear as of now. Wigan offered limited first-team opportunities to Bettoni until his debut against AFC Wimbledon in the middle of the season.

Bettoni made a significant mark by scoring a brace in that game, and then went on to make 27 appearances across all competitions, including 11 starts, as the Latics were ultimately unable to agree a new deal with him. The fact that clubs of this level are chasing Bettoni showcases the promise he possesses, especially considering he only broke into the Wigan first team mid-season.

Chelsea to continue youth recruitment?

Chelsea have made it a point to keep investing in young talent, and they have a wide network around the world to make things happen on that front. They were recently linked with Zadok Yohanna, the teenager from Swedish club AIK, before he joined Brighton & Hove Albion.

There are also some fresh young faces expected to arrive in the summer, including Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP, after Chelsea had pre-agreed a deal more than a year ago. The addition of Bettoni would further consolidate Chelsea’s focus on developing young attacking talent.