Chelsea are expressing "concrete interest" in signing Flamengo youngster Matheus Franca this summer, according to a recent update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Who is Matheus Franca?
The 19-year-old is a bright young prospect in his homeland of Brazil currently, making a name for himself at Flamengo with his attacking quality.
Franca has already scored nine goals in 53 appearances for his current club, invariably taking up an attacking midfield role but being capable of playing deeper or even further forward in attack, and he is also a six-time capped Brazil Under-16s international.
Chelsea are seemingly set to have plenty of competition in any potential move for the teenager, as Newcastle United have been backed to snap him up in the near future, with a move to the Premier League clearly on the cards.
A new update suggests that the Blues are now at the front of the queue to snap up Franca, however, as Mauricio Pochettino looks to bring in the right players during the summer transfer window, hitting the ground running after officially coming in as manager over the weekend.
Are Chelsea close to signing Franca?
Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed Newcastle's interest but said that Chelsea are genuinely interested in signing Franca this summer, with talks set to take place this week, in order for a move to be sealed before others can swoop in:
"Chelsea are showing concrete interest in Brazilian talent Matheus França as per Mail — he was on Newcastle radar in January. Understand there’s still no official bid but talks will take place this week with Flamengo. Negotiations will be around €20/25m fee."
While Franca may not yet be a household name in the English game, there is no doubt that his arrival could be met with excitement, considering the flair and unpredictability that so many young Brazilian footballers can possess, whether it be Ronaldinho, Neymar or Vinicius Jr down the years.
The Blues are also set to sign his compatriot Angelo Gabriel this week, so the club's hierarchy clearly have a focus on building a real fresh dawn for their new manager to work on long into the future. France is someone with a high ceiling who could develop into a real force eventually, but if he does join Chelsea, he should be given time to adjust to his surroundings and get used to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, rather than be expected to be an instant hit.
In Pochettino, the hope is that the Blues have someone who is an expert at dealing with youngsters, as was the case at Tottenham with Harry Kane and Dele Alli at the time, for example, and if the manager sees Franca as an ideal target, he has to be trusted in the transfer window by Todd Boehly.
The Brazilian has been hailed as a "great finisher" by coach Fabio Matias – an attribute that felt lacking at Stamford Bridge too often last season – but he has described so many aspects of his game, too, saying: "He has many important aspects to his game. In addition to technical and tactical ability, he has a very good understanding of the game. That makes him stand out because he interprets spaces well. The most talented players have an understanding of space and how to manage that."
