London clubs Chelsea and Crystal Palace battle it out for Matheus Franca after submitting important offers for the €25 million-rated sensation.
Brazilian outfit Globo have informed of Chelsea and Crystal Palace bids for Matheus Franca. The 19-year-old South American sensation could move out of Flamengo for their €25 million asking price. The player now has a choice between the London sides, offering varied footballing terms.
Matheus Franca could become the next Brazilian talent to arrive on European shores as the interest in the attacking midfielders rises. The South American sensation, 19, could leave Flamengo if clubs can meet the 25 million asking price.
There are a host of suitors from the Premier League, with talks held with few of them as things stand. Crystal Palace are among those keen on the 19-year-old but faces tremendous competition from others. Luckily, only Chelsea have been the other side active in pursuing Franca, which could lead to a battle between the London clubs.
Franca’s representatives were in London this week as both clubs presented their proposals for the player. Palace and Chelsea may have made bids worth different amounts, but not to please Flamengo and their €25 million asking price.
The Brazilian side are keen to achieve that figure and may achieve their objective. The final fee might include add-ons rather than being the guaranteed sum. While a decision to leave Flamengo seems imminent, Franca must decide on the two clubs in line to sign him.
Chelsea have maintained an interest in Franca for quite a while and were to make an offer. They have aggressively signed youngsters from South America since the American takeover concluded. If the 19-year-old sensation chooses the Blues, he could immediately go out on loan to Strasbourg.
Chelsea’s owners control the French club as Franca could follow the path of Angelo Gabriel, who recently arrived from Santos. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have proposed a more interesting sporting proposal for Franca.
The Eagles would like to integrate Franca into their first team setup and make him a part of their plans for the upcoming season. He could get valuable experience playing for Palace’s first team, but Chelsea could have made a more financially viable offer.
Either way, it seems like Franca’s decision will be to take ahead of a crucial period of his career. A move to either side has benefits, but in hindsight, the Palace offer seems more important from a sporting perspective for the 19-year-old.
