Chelsea and Newcastle United are all set to battle it out for the services of 19-year-old Flamengo attacking midfielder Matheus Franca.
According to Daily Mail, Chelsea are keen on having Matheus Franca in their ranks ahead of next season. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has been super impressive of late and there is a lot of interest in his services.
Franca has come through the ranks at Flamengo. He made his senior debut back in 2021. The 19-year-old was promoted to their first team in January 2022. He has since gone from strength to strength and is currently on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
The teenage sensation attracted a lot of attention back in January but the Brazilian club were not ready to sell. They made it pretty clear that he was not available irrespective of the price.
Newcastle have been interested in the teenager’s services for a while now and they reportedly put forward a £13.5 million offer for the Brazil Under-20 forward earlier this year but it was instantly rejected.
While there are still four years left in Franca’s contract, the belief is that Flamengo might consider selling him for the right price during the ongoing summer. Eddie Howe’s team were keen on having him in their ranks back in January and they are expected to push for him again in the ongoing window.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have been making moves to sign the 19-year-old wonderkid who can play anywhere in attack as well as slot in the centre of the park. Mauricio Pochettino is a big admirer of the teenager and wants him at the club ahead of next season.
While Franca is not yet a finished product, he surely has the potential to become a world-beater. And, the Blues are looking to act fast and land him at the club before there is too much competition for the 19-year-old’s services.
The Blues are all set to put forward a £25 million bid to sign the attacking midfielder. While Pochettino’s team will try their best to strike a deal with the Brazilian club, they will have to ensure they don’t allow the Magpies to overpower them in the pursuit of the Brazil Under-20 star.
