Early Life
Christian Atsu Twasam was born on 10 January 1992 in Ada Foah, Ghana. He is a professional footballer who currently plays for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Ghanaian national team. Atsu started his career at the Premier League club Chelsea, where he made a few appearances and had a number of loan spells before joining Newcastle United in 2017.
Youth Career
Atsu began his career in his native Ghana with Porto Novo–based club Feyenoord Academy, where he was spotted by scouts from Porto. In 2010, he signed a five–year contract with the Portuguese club. Atsu made his professional debut in the Primeira Liga on 12 May 2011. He was loaned to Rio Ave in January 2012, where he made 20 appearances in the league and scored two goals.
Career at Chelsea
In the summer of 2013, Atsu joined Chelsea, who had bought him from Porto for around £3.5 million. He was loaned out to Vitesse and Everton in the 2013–14 season, and then to Bournemouth in the 2014–15 season.
In the 2015–16 season, Atsu was loaned out to Malaga, where he made 10 appearances and scored one goal. He returned to Chelsea for the 2016–17 season but only made two appearances for the club.
Here is a detailed timeline of his time at Chelsea.
2013 – Signing for Chelsea
In August 2013, Atsu signed for Chelsea from Portuguese club Porto for a reported fee of £3.5 million. He was immediately loaned out to Dutch club Vitesse for the 2013-14 season.
2014 – Loan to Everton
Atsu was loaned out to Premier League club Everton for the 2014-15 season. He made five appearances for the club in all competitions, including two in the Europa League.
2015 – Loan to Bournemouth
Atsu was loaned out to Championship club Bournemouth for the 2015-16 season. He made just two appearances for the club in all competitions.
2016 – Loan to Malaga
Atsu was loaned out to Spanish club Malaga for the second half of the 2015-16 season. He made 12 appearances for the club in La Liga, scoring one goal.
2017 – Transfer to Newcastle United
In May 2017, Atsu signed for Newcastle United on a permanent deal after a successful loan spell at the club during the 2016-17 season. He has been an important player for the club ever since, making over 100 appearances and helping them achieve promotion to the Premier League in the 2016-17 season.
Move to Newcastle United
In July 2017, Atsu signed a four–year contract with Newcastle United. He made his debut for the club in a 2–0 away victory over West Ham United in August 2017. Atsu went on to make a total of 41 appearances in the Premier League for Newcastle in the 2017–18 season, scoring five goals and providing two assists. He was a key part of the team that finished 10th in the table.
2016 – Loan to Newcastle
Atsu joined Newcastle United on a season-long loan from Chelsea in August 2016. He made 32 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring five goals and helping them win promotion to the Premier League.
2017 – Permanent signing
After his successful loan spell, Atsu signed a permanent deal with Newcastle United in May 2017. He made 35 appearances in all competitions in his first season as a permanent Newcastle player, scoring three goals and helping the club avoid relegation.
2018 – Consistent performer
Atsu continued to be a consistent performer for Newcastle in the 2018-19 season, making 38 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals. He helped the club finish in 13th place in the Premier League.
2019 – Injury struggles
Atsu struggled with injuries during the 2019-20 season, making just 20 appearances in all competitions and scoring one goal. Despite this, he remained an important player for the club.
2020 – Continued contribution
Atsu continued to contribute to Newcastle United during the 2020-21 season, making 24 appearances in all competitions and scoring one goal. He helped the club finish in 12th place in the Premier League.
2021 – Loan to Al-Raed
Atsu was loaned out to Saudi Arabian club Al-Raed for the 2021-22 season. He made 23 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals.
International Career
Atsu made his debut for the Ghanaian national team in a friendly against Chile in 2011. He was part of the Ghana squad that competed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He was also part of the squad that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Atsu has made over 50 appearances for Ghana and has scored three goals. He was part of the team that reached the quarter–finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Here is a detailed timeline of his international career.
2012 – Debut for Ghana
Atsu made his debut for the Ghana national team on 1 June 2012 in a friendly match against Lesotho. He was named in the starting lineup and played for 60 minutes in a 7-0 victory for Ghana.
2013 – Africa Cup of Nations
Atsu was included in the Ghana squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in all six matches as Ghana reached the final of the tournament. He scored two goals in the tournament, including a memorable solo effort in the quarterfinals against Cape Verde.
2014 – FIFA World Cup
Atsu was named in the Ghana squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played in all three group stage matches, including a memorable performance against Portugal where he scored a goal and provided an assist.
2015 – Africa Cup of Nations
Atsu was named in the Ghana squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in all six matches as Ghana reached the final of the tournament for the second consecutive time. He scored one goal in the tournament, a late equalizer against Senegal in the group stage.
2017 – Africa Cup of Nations
Atsu was included in the Ghana squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in all three group stage matches as Ghana was eliminated from the tournament at the group stage.
2019 – Africa Cup of Nations
Atsu was named in the Ghana squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in all four matches as Ghana was eliminated from the tournament at the round of 16 stage.
Overall, Christian Atsu has made over 60 appearances for the Ghana national team, scoring 10 goals. He has represented Ghana in major tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup, and has been an important player for the team over the years.
Personal Life
Atsu is married to his wife, Akosua Gyamfua, and they have two children. He is a devout Christian and actively participates in charity work, particularly in his native Ghana. He is also an Ambassador for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
