Wiley has joined Chelsea in an £8.5 million ($11m) deal, securing a long-term contract until 2030, with an option for an additional season. The 19-year-old, who had been with Atlanta since he was 11, made his MLS debut in 2022.
Wiley is expected to bolster the left-back position in Enzo Maresca’s revamped Chelsea squad. Marc Cucurella is likely to be the starting left-back after an impressive Euro 2024 performance. However, this could pose a challenge for vice-captain Ben Chilwell, whose injury history has restricted him to 106 appearances for Chelsea over four years.
“Caleb epitomises the pathway that we envisioned when we started this club,” said Atlanta Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra via the team’s website. “Born and raised in Atlanta, he joined our Academy at 11 years old, played for ATL UTD 2 and went on to earn every step in his path up to signing as a Homegrown. Over that time, he debuted for the U.S. Men’s National Team and was chosen to represent our country at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now he can continue his career at a top club in Europe. We wish Caleb the best in this next challenge of his career and look forward to following his journey. For our club moving forward, we’re continuing our efforts to immediately reinvest in the team during the Summer Transfer Window.”
Before he begins his journey with Chelsea, Wiley will spend up to three weeks in France with the United States’ Under-23 squad for the Olympics. The American team kicks off on July 24 against the hosts, followed by group matches against New Zealand on July 27 and Guinea on July 30.
View this post on Instagram
C. Wiley
Caleb Wiley
United StatesAtlanta United performance and stats
