La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign 18-year-old Brazilian sensation Matheus Nascimento.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea will take on Real Madrid to sign Matheus Nascimento. And the reigning La Liga champions are ahead of the Blues in the race to sign the 18-year-old Botafogo attacking sensation.
Matheus Nascimento is one of the most highly-rated young strikers in Brazil, going from strength to strength year after year. The 18-year-old has been with Botafogo for over half a decade. And after rapidly progressing through the ranks at the Brazilian club, the young striker earned his first-team debut a couple of years ago.
The Brazilian attacking sensation made 37 appearances this past season, chipping in with seven goals and one assist. While that tally might not be impressive at face value, it is still a solid return for a teenager. And Nascimento’s progress has captured the attention of Real Madrid and Chelsea.
The Merengues have been keeping tabs on the teenage prodigy for a long time. And recent reports have claimed that Real Madrid will prioritise signing him next summer. The interest in the 18-year-old is understandable, considering Mariano Diaz will likely depart from the Santiago Bernabeu next year.
With Karim Benzema dealing with frustrating fitness issues, having an alternative like Nascimento might bode well for Real Madrid. But the reigning La Liga champions need to fend off competition from Chelsea to secure the services of the Brazilian attacking sensation.
Chelsea signed a striker this past summer when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived from Barcelona. But the former Arsenal captain has been unimpressive for the most part and seems way past his peak. So Nascimento is an option worth considering for Chelsea as he can compete with Armando Broja for one spot in the starting eleven.
But Chelsea might be fighting a losing battle, with Real Madrid ahead of them in the race to sign the 18-year-old. But with Christopher Nkunku closing in on arriving at Stamford Bridge, the Blues might not worry too much. So it looks like Nascimento will soon join Real Madrid.
