Chris Atherton joined Ipswich Town from Chelsea on 17 July 2026. The Northern Irish winger made history in 2022 when, at 13 years and 329 days old, he became the youngest player ever to appear in a senior competitive match in the United Kingdom, coming on for Glenavon in a League Cup tie. Chelsea signed him soon after his 16th birthday, and Ipswich secured him on a permanent deal a year later as a long-term attacking project, with the fee and contract length undisclosed by either club.