Bruma extends Chelsea contract
442 Staff - Thursday 02 September 2010, 11:55
Chelsea have confirmed that Dutch central defender and academy graduate, Jeffery Bruma, has signed a four-year deal with the club tying him to the Blues until 2014.
In comments made to the club's official site Bruma stated: ''I am very happy to stay here. I have been working to improve all the time I have been here and a next step is getting your next contract, and now it is time to improve again.
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"I often speak to [assistant first team coach] Paul Clement because when I came over here as a 15-year-old and was in the youth team, he was the youth team manager. We sit down and lay out a sheet of targets. We did this when we were away in the Champions League in Milan last season.
"I have made my international debut already and that was the aim for two or three years' time. It has come so early and when you reach your targets you obviously have to set new ones, so my new targets are to play as much as I can at Chelsea."
Bruma, who capped off a remarkable year at Stamford Bridge with an FA Youth Cup winners medal and a call up to the Dutch national first team, also revealed his delight on his personal Twitter page.
With the West London club indulging in little activity in the transfer market this window - with only Yossi Benayoun and Ramires the only signings of note - the commitment to securing the long-term future of its academy stars seems to further cement the noises the club have been making for some time about developing its youth team and breaking even financially.
It remains to be seen if the latest crop of talent including Bruma, Gael Kakuta and hotly tipped England youngster Josh McEcheren can establish themselves among the behemoth of talent currently at the club. It is, however, steps in the right direction.
By Paul Wentworth
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