Chelsea are closing in on their next signing of the 2024 summer transfer window
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea are closing in on the signing of a talented young Brazilian forward dubbed 'the next Neymar'.
The Blues are set to continue their strategy of buying promising youngsters who can develop into potential world-class stars, despite their obvious need for players capable of slotting straight into the first team as well.
And one Brazilian has caught the eye at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea hoping he'll be able to answer all of their problems in the future.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Gremio winger Gabriel Mec, with the Brazilian 16-year-old having impressed their scouting department.
The report suggests that Chelsea have already presented their project to the Brazilian, with negotiations currently ongoing. Mec is keen to make the switch to Chelsea, though he wouldn't be able to join the club until he turns 18, in April 2026.
Compared to Neymar thanks to his skillful dribbling and quick turn of pace, Mec is an exciting attacking player catching the attention in Brazil. While he's yet to make his senior professional debut, Chelsea are keen on acquiring his services before another European side steal a march on them.
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🚨🔵 Chelsea have presented their project to Brazilian talent Gabriel Mec and they’re confident to make the deal happen.Negotiations underway with both Gremio and 2008 born talent’s camp, keen on joining Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/nFzRNLNhZ5July 21, 2024
“Neymar-esque play-style and comes from the same academy (Grêmio) as Ronaldinho. Hard to not be excited by him,” football analyst Ben Mattinson wrote on X.
“Mec has rapid feet able to do skills so quickly that he can fool defenders easily. A joy to watch, he’s a real throwback Brazilian.”
In FourFourTwo's view, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see Chelsea make a move for a talented Brazilian prospect, especially considering their recent focus in the transfer market on promising young players. How much they're prepared to pay for him, though, is still uncertain.
Mec has been compared to Neymar (Image credit: Getty Images)
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
