FCB have secured the services of the 18-year-old, who impressed at the 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations
Swiss club Basel have announced the acquisition of Ghana U20 star Emmanuel Essiam.
The midfielder joins FCB on a long-term contract which runs until 2026.
He was on the books of Ghana Premier League outfit Berekum Chelsea.
“Emmanuel signed a long-term contract with Rotblau until the summer of 2026,” Basel wrote on their official website on Monday.
“Emmanuel Essiam joins FCB from Berekum Chelsea FC of the Ghana Premier League. He is an U20 national player in his home country and takes on his first challenge abroad in Basel with great development potential.
“FCB will carefully introduce him to the new environment and give him the best possible support in developing his skills to the full.”
Essiam rose to prominence last year where he played a key role as Ghana won the Africa U20 Cup of Nations tournament in Tanzania.
He also featured in a U24 friendly match for the West Africans against Japan last year.
The 18-year-old, who has featured for Chelsea in the Ghana Premier League this season, follows in the footsteps of compatriot Samuel Inkoom, who also joined the Swiss side.
“The knowledge and the size and history of the club, the enthusiastic fans, the national and international successes as well as the stories of African players like Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny and Samuel Inkoom, who launched their European careers at FCB, made me feel that Basel would be the perfect step for my development and my career,” Essiam told FCB’s official website.
“I'm a central midfielder, I run a lot, I like to go into one-on-one fights and I like to play dominant football with my team. With my game overview, I can support the team both in attack and defense. In the game I try to break the opposing lines with clever passes. I feel honoured and happy to be with FCB.”
Basel squad planner Philipp Kaufmann said: We are pleased that with Emmanuel we were able to tie a promising talent in midfield to FCB in the long term. He has good dynamics and is agile. He works hard in the centre, always in the service of the team and can therefore recapture many balls from the opponent.”
Essiam moves straight into Basel’s senior team.
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