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U.S. international and New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga is set to be sold to Premier League side Chelsea within the next 24 hours, a source told ESPN FC. Miazga, 20, had less than a year to run on his current contract with the Red Bulls, and given his desire to test himself overseas, New York was left with little choice but to sell now rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the 2016 MLS season. On Tuesday, multiple sources told ESPN FC that Miazga was set to be sold to an undisclosed Premier League team. The Daily Mail reported that the transfer fee is approximately $5 million. Miazga also possesses a Polish passport, meaning he will not have to obtain a work permit. Miazga had been in camp with the U.S. national team ahead of friendlies against Iceland on Jan. 31 and Canada on Feb. 5, but he has already departed and is on his way to England, where he will undergo a medical and then join up with his new club. Chelsea has long been rumored to be on the trail of Miazga, with word emerging in November that the Blues had made an offer for the center-back. Leicester City and Stoke City had also been reportedly interested in him. Miazga joined the Red Bulls' academy in 2009 and rose through the ranks. He signed a homegrown player contract as a 17-year-old in 2013. He has since made 38 league and playoff appearances, making a significant breakthrough in 2015, when he became a mainstay in manager Jesse Marsch's squad. Internationally, Miazga has represented the U.S. at the U18, U20 and U23 levels. He took part in the 2015 U20 World Cup, in which the Americans fell in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Serbia on penalties. Miazga made his senior international debut last November in a World Cup qualifier against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Additional reporting by Doug McIntyre.
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