Hull City sign Chelsea defender Ola Aina on season-long loan

Hull City sign Chelsea defender Ola Aina on season-long loan
Posted by Ezeudoye Samuel on July 11, 2017

Hull City have completed the signing of Chelsea academy prospect Ola Aina on a season-long loan deal, it has been announced. Aina, 20, will spend his first spell away from the club in the Championship and has flown to Portugal to join up with his new teammates for a preseason training camp in the Algarve.

"I'm very excited to be here and it is the start of a new chapter in my career," Aina told Hull's official website. "It's my first loan move away from Chelsea and I just want to hit the ground running. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of my new teammates during the training camp in Portugal."

Aina made his senior Chelsea debut in a League Cup win over Bristol Rovers at Stamford Bridge in August but struggled for minutes under Antonio Conte, appearing in just five more matches in all competitions last season. He becomes the first Blues youngster to join Hull on loan since the appointment in June of Leonid Slutsky, who is a good friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Aina can be deployed on the right or left of defence and has represented England from under-16 to U20 level, though he recently pledged his international future to Nigeria. Chelsea are increasingly looking to get their academy graduates first-team experience elsewhere in England. Tammy Abraham has already joined Swansea City on loan, while Kasey Palmer will spend another season with newly promoted Huddersfield Town.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to complete a temporary move to Crystal Palace on Tuesday, while Izzy Brown has been linked with a loan to Brighton