- 18 hours ago
Chelsea’s answer to Lamine Yamal? Blues target RAPID deal for Euro 2024 star
Chelsea continue to look for a winger on the transfer market, and at Euro 2024 it appears they have may have found their answer with a player who plays in a similar manner to Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal.
Lamine has caught the eye in Germany, becoming the youngest player to score in either the European Championship or the World Cup when he bent home a terrific shot against France in a 2-1 win on Tuesday.
Barcelona, however, already claim to have rejected a €250 million bid from PSG for a player who turns 17 at the end of the week, putting him out of reach of even the big-spending Chelsea.
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On the other hand, the Blues are looking for a player who offers a similar style to the Spain star and are weighing up the prospect of a “blockbuster” move for Porto winger Francisco Conceicao, according to reports from Record.
Indeed, Chelsea are weighing up the possibility of signing Conceicao before 15 July, when his release clause jumps from €30m to €45m.
Conceicao has not yet returned to Porto following Euro 2024 duty with Portugal, where he played four times and scored a single goal, having only made his international debut in the pre-tournament friendlies.
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This recognition came off the back of a season with Porto in which he scored eight and created eight more across all competitions. It was a campaign in which he was on loan at the Portuguese giants from Ajax, with the club making the deal a permanent one in a transfer worth €10.5m.
Conceicao, though, could be on the move again if Chelsea have their way.
Chelsea targeting a winger
Enzo Maresca’s side are looking for wide options, and even if a player of the standard of Lamine Yamal is out of reach, Conceicao would appear to fit the bill.
According to data analytics experts SciSports, he has a greater than 80% similarity rating to the Barcelona star based on his style.
Conceicao vs Lamine Yamal: Playing style
He ticks many boxes for the Blues, particularly as he is only 21 and still has a good deal of potential to unlock. Indeed, the Stamford Bridge side have been linked to Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi at a similar price point.
Conceicao has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €22.5m, suggesting that his €30m release clause is not an unreasonable price, but if that is allowed to rise to €45m, he starts to look expensive. Chelsea will have to move fast.