Chelsea have agreed a deal to buy U.S. youth international Benji Flowers, 15, from FC Dallas when he turns 18, while the MLS club have signed the winger to a first-team deal, sources briefed on the transfer tell The Athletic.Dallas will receive an initial fee of around $3million (£2.25m), while performance-based add-ons could take the deal to around $10m, sources add. The add-ons structure includes money that can be triggered before he leaves for Chelsea based on how many games he plays for the American side, as well as youth national team milestones before he even gets to Chelsea, while Dallas will retain a sell-on clause as well, sources said.Flowers traveled to London in recent weeks to complete the Chelsea portion of the deal, sources add. Chelsea believe they are acquiring one of the best young talents in American youth soccer.
The future is bright 🌟
Benji Fowers has been named to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game! pic.twitter.com/xk0HuFk16q
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) June 24, 2026The teenager made his debut for Dallas’ second team in MLS Next Pro as a 14-year-old in March. He has played two games for the second team but is likely to feature more as the season goes on, while he has represented his country up to under-15s level. One of the add-ons is if Flowers plays a nominal amount of minutes before the 2026 season ends, incentivizing Dallas to give him a taste of senior soccer, sources said.The deal for Flowers could be a historic one. Depending on add-ons, the fee could vastly surpass the up-to-$5m the Philadelphia Union received for Cavan Sullivan in a similarly pre-arranged deal that will see him join Manchester City upon his 18th birthday. Dallas is one of the league’s most respected academies, having produced USMNT internationals Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Ricardo Pepi, Tanner Tessmann among others over the years.Chelsea has been extremely active in the under-21 market across the globe in recent seasons, agreeing transfers such as the one to acquire Ecuadorian attacker Kendry Paez, who at 15 had a pre-arranged deal to join the west London side when he turned 18. The club has looked to the United States as well, signing defender Caleb Wiley in 2024 and goalkeeper Gaga Slonina two years earlier.
