Town U21s striker Osman Foyo has joined League Two AFC Wimbledon on a permanent basis, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a hugely impressive spell on loan with Vanarama National League South Chelmsford City, scoring 12 goals in 23 league appearances, during the first half of the season.
A number of clubs from Leagues One and Two were understood to have shown interest in Foyo, who joined Town in January 2022 following a trial after leaving Norwich City’s youth set-up.
Last season, he spent time on loan at Torquay and Welling United, and featured for the Blues senior side in pre-season in the summer of 2023 and 2024.
Utrecht-born Foyo, who was also with Chelsea’s academy as a schoolboy, says the move took a little while to go through.
"It’s a real pleasure to be here,” he told the Dons official website. "I’ve been waiting weeks to get this done and I feel this is a place where I can really kickstart my career.
"I can’t wait to get out, score goals and make our fans happy. I’m powerful, quick and strong – I’ll use my qualities to help me get in the team and stay there.”
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Wombles boss Johnnie Jackson added: "Osman is a player that we’ve been monitoring closely for quite a while. We’re one of a number of clubs who were after him, so to beat off strong sides is huge for us.
"He’s played men’s football last season and this season and has really excelled. He’s caught the eye at Chelmsford, he’s big, he’s powerful, can play wide, can play centrally – he’s got all the attributes for his game to flourish here at Wimbledon as other forward players have done in recent years.
"He’s got an eye for a goal, he’s left-footed and he’s one for the future. We’re hopeful that he can come in and have a positive impact on us from now until the end of the season.
"He’ll be a very important player for us in the future. We want to finish the season strongly but also build the foundations for the years to come.”
Wimbledon director of football Craig Cope said: "We're delighted to secure Osman, we have fought off a lot of competition from our league and the division higher for his signature.
"His footballing potential speaks for itself and we believe we have the right environment to help him fulfil that given our track record. Since our first meeting Osman, he has shown a real desire to join Wimbledon. We are excited to watch his development.”