Chelsea sign Finnish wonderkid after snubbing Serie A switch

Chelsea are set to sign rising Finland star Jimi Tauriainen from HJK Helsinki, with the 16-year-old having snubbed a move to Serie A.

Tauriainen will join the Blues in the summer on a three-year contract.

He’s the son of former Finland international Pasi Tauriainen and has been on the radar of Europe’s top clubs for months.

He had trials with Juventus and Inter Milan before deciding to join Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.

Clubs in Germany and the UK had also invited him to train with them.

A strong, fast winger who is good with the ball and a free kick expert, he’s tipped for a bright future.

The teenager sprang to prominence after leading HJK04 to a Gallini World Cup win in Budapest last summer.

He scored twice in the final and was named player of the tournament.

He’s already scored four goals in six games for Finland under-16s.

His brother Julius, 18, is already playing for Freiburg in Germany and the family considered carefully before choosing the Premier League side.

Tauriainen has been at HJK, Finland’s biggest club, for four years and is a popular member of the youth set-up there.

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He’s already been pictured with Lampard holding a Chelsea shirt with his name on.

He plans to go fishing with some of his teammates in the summer before heading to London.

His family believe this is the right move for him, with the club having placed an increased emphasis on younger players in the aftermath of their transfer ban.