Todd Boehly continued his major overhaul of the playing squad at Stamford Bridge in January with nearly £300m spent and he is already lining up moves for the summer
Vitor Roque celebrates scoring for Brazil in the South American U-20 championship
Vitor Roque celebrates scoring for Brazil in the South American U-20 championship
In 2022, Chelsea were one of a number of clubs interested in Brazilian wonderkid Endrick. The teenager is said to be one of the most sought after talents in world football and had a list of potential suitors.
The forward eventually agreed to join Real Madrid for €60million (£51million) with the Champions League holders paying the release clause in his contract. Endrick and his family visited the Cobham training ground in the Blues’ attempts to acquire his services but the prospect of following in the footsteps of Brazilian’s gone by in La Liga proved to be a key factor.
Chelsea did, however, sign a young Brazilian Andrey Santos in January. The midfielder joined from Vasco da Gama for £11million as part of Todd Boehly’s long-term vision in west London. Since sealing a move to England, Santos has been participating in the U20 South American Championship in Colombia.
The 18-year-old, who has captained his nation in four games, has scored in five of his six outings in the competitions to help Brazil seal their place in this year’s U20 World Cup. However, plenty of eyes have been on other prodigies that could transform into one of the world’s greatest and Chelsea have reportedly lined-up a move for another Brazilian.
Athletico Paranaense striker Vitor Roque is said to have impressed the watchful eyes of the Blues’ recruitment team during the tournament. The 17-year-old has scored six goals in the event and has attracted strong interest from around Europe.
According to Spanish outlet AS (via Sport Witness), ‘several’ big teams are chasing the striker. Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain were said to be linked last month but his £52.5million release clause in his contract is said to have put them off.
Roque signed for Paranaense from Cruzeiro in 2021 for only £3.8million (R$24million) – a club-record fee – and the Brazilian outfit could be on course to gain a huge profit should one of Europe’s top teams swoop in. Whilst it’s claimed that the player would prefer a move to Barcelona, the Catalonia side’s financial difficulties may hold them back in paying over £50million for a teenager.
Chelsea signed striker David Datro Fofana in January from Molde and Graham Potter has resisted sending him out on loan. The striker made his Premier League debut in last weekend’s goalless draw with Fulham. Roque’s signing would certainly be one for the future.
