Ipswich Town has permanently signed Chelsea academy midfielder Chris Atherton. The 17-year-old, who holds both Irish and Northern Irish nationality, joined Chelsea from Northern Irish Premiership side Glenavon last summer, where he made 32 senior appearances. He has 11 caps for Northern Ireland U17, and in the 2025/2026 domestic league season, he made 26 appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists. Atherton said that he was delighted to be there and could not wait to get started, adding that he hopes to offer a lot of creativity and an attacking threat and to work as hard as possible to improve every day.