ATLANTA — Caleb Wiley, a 19-year-old Atlanta native and budding star with Atlanta United, is making the step up to Europe with a transfer deal announced Monday.
Atlanta United issued a release saying the left back had been transferred to Chelsea FC. Wiley will reportedly then be routed to Strasbourg, a French club also controlled by Chelsea's owners, according to The Athletic.
The Athletic report said the value of the transfer deal is nearly $11 million.
Wiley debuted with Atlanta United's senior team in 2022 and quickly established himself as a regular -- appearing in 77 MLS regular season matches for the club across the last three years. He has also gotten into the U.S. Men's National Team mix and is bound for Paris as part of the U.S. Olympic U-23 men's soccer team.
Though he is a defender, he has shown a knack for contributing in attack -- with six goals and seven assists in his time with Atlanta United.
"Caleb epitomizes the pathway that we envisioned when we started this club," United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement. "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."
Wiley is the latest high-profile departure for Atlanta United, following on Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis. With the returns on those transfer deals, Atlanta is now expected to be a major buyer on the summer transfer market.
