Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement to sign one of Brazil’s most sought after players following interest from a host of top European clubs, including Real Madrid.
Under the current ownership, Chelsea have made some significant moves in the South American market.
They’ve recruited a number of highly-rated talents, including Andrey Santos, Angelo, Deivid Washington and Kendry Paez, who recently swapped shirts with Lionel Messi whilst on international duty.
The Blues are also close to signing 17-year-old winger Estevao Willian from Palmeiras for an initial £29 million.
Their strategy of trying to entice some of the world’s best young talents is clearly working, too, after they reached a salary agreement with Brazilian wonderkid Pedro Lima.
Lima, a 17-year-old full-back, has already made 25 first-team appearances for Sport Recife.
His performances last season caught the eye of many, including Paris Saint-Germain, Milan, Atalanta, Juventus and PSV Eindhoven.
Real Madrid also viewed the teenager as a potential long-term replacement to Dani Carvajal, with the Spaniard turning 33 next year.
But it appears Chelsea have won the race to sign Lima. In fact, negotiations are at an ‘advanced’ stage, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.
Lima’s manager Renato Guimaraes has also commented on the potential deal, saying: “There has been progress in negotiations but it has not yet closed.”
He added: “The salary part has been agreed, but there are still some clauses in the contract to be defined, some bonuses.”
Chelsea are said to be offering a fee of around £6.7 million for the teenager, which would the biggest sale in Sport Recife history.
The report goes on to suggest that Lima will be loaned out to French side Strasbourg, who are owned by BlueCo – a consortium led by Todd Boehly and his team.
At present, the 17-year-old does not meet the requirements for non-European players to play in the Premier League.
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Topics: Chelsea, Premier League, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Real Madrid, Juventus