Chelsea have reportedly made a final decision over Deivid Washington's future at Stamford Bridge.
Washington put pen to paper on a seven-year deal last summer after he completed a €16m (£14m) move from Brazilian side Santos.
The 19-year-old found first-team opportunities few and far between in his first season with the club, leaving him to settle for just three appearances in all competitions.
After finding playing time hard to come by, Washington was heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in the recent summer transfer market.
The striker was believed to be on the verge of joining Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg, only to see the move fall through on the final day of the transfer window.
Chelsea make Washington decision
The West London club allegedly called off the proposed £18m transfer due to concerns raised by the Premier League and FIFA.
There was then a suggestion that Washington could complete a loan switch to Hull City, but such a move failed to materialise before the English transfer window slammed shut on August 30.
Chelsea could still look at potential options to offload Washington to countries where the transfer market is still open for business.
However, according to Premier League Brasil, Chelsea have decided that Washington will stay at Stamford Bridge to play with the club's Under-21 side.
The report claims that Flamengo made an attempt to recruit the 21-year-old on loan before the Brazilian transfer window closed on September 2.
Chelsea turned down Flamengo's proposal because they felt that a move back to the Brazilian top flight would not be beneficial for his development.
The Blues were also unsuccessful in their efforts to loan Washington to another unnamed European team, ensuring that he will stay at Chelsea until at least the new year.
What competitions will Washington compete in?
There is a possibility that Washington could be called up to the Chelsea first-team for games where Enzo Maresca could rotate his squad, such as the EFL Cup clash against Barrow on September 24.
However, it seems that the Brazilian will spend the majority of his time working with the Under-21 side - a team that he will be familiar with after scoring six goals in 11 appearances last season.
Washington will have the opportunity to represent Filipe Coelho's side in the Premier League Cup and Premier League 2.
Chelsea Under-21s are also featuring in the Premier League International Cup, with the Blues competing in a group alongside RB Leipzig, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Anderlecht, Real Sociedad and Sporting Lisbon.
The EFL Trophy is another competition that could give Washington useful playing time, and the Blues will compete in a group that contains Bromley, Charlton Athletic and Cambridge United. body check tags ::
