- 21 hours ago
Chelsea battle Barcelona for 'new Marcelo'
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 21 Nov 2024 09:28 GMT
- 6 min read
Chelsea are monitoring teenage sensation Joao Victor de Souza, according to reports.
AS reporter Eduardo Burgos Rodriguez, who specialises in the South American market, has revealed that the Premier League club are interested in the Santos full-back ahead of next year.
The report reads that "the Blues' idea would be to close his contract to loan him out for a season to Strasbourg, a club owned by BlueCo. In addition, the player has an offer from Saudi Arabia.
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"Although it is still too early to know if this interest will materialise in a formal offer, Santos has already started negotiations to extend his contract, which expires in May 2025."
It's thought that De Souza could be the next Marcelo. On the international stage, Brazil has faced a persistent challenge at the left-back position for several years. With Filipe Luís and Marcelo now gone, the team has struggled to find a successor. Several players, including Renan Lodi, Alex Telles, Ayrton Lucas have so far struggled to make the position their own under head coach Dorival Junior.
One rising talent drawing attention is Souza. Indeed, He played a key role in the side winning the South American Under-17 Championship last year and also featured in the U-17 World Cup. As his career progresses, the Selecao are closely monitoring his development, hopeful he might emerge as the long-awaited solution to their left-back woes.
Estevao to join Chelsea in 2025
Chelsea have already bought Estevao Willian from the Brazilian Serie A. The Palmeiras player has been widely tipped to contend for the Ballon d’Or in the future.
His development has been closely monitored since then, and Chelsea won the race for his signature earlier this year, despite immense competition from both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The teenager will officially link up with his new team-mates when he turns 18 next year, and reports suggest he is set to be handed an immediate place in the first-team upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Estevao, who already has two senior caps for Brazil, outlined his career ambitions during a recent interview with The Guardian.
“I want to win titles and show all my potential, show everything I can do,” he said. “Champion of the World Cup, Premier League and Champions League. That’s what I want.
“My biggest dream is to be the best player in the world. That’s my dream. One day I’ll be among the best. But I’m not going to promise or project that I’ll achieve this in a few years. It’ll come naturally.”
