There are quite a few Brazilian players at Chelsea, so what’s wrong with adding another one to the mix? The Premier League leaders are on the verge of completing the signing of Brazilian wonderkid Nathan Allen de Souza from Atletico Paranaense although it doesn’t mean the 19-year old is going to play right away.
Nathan has arrived in London ahead of of a medical, with Chelsea about to pay £4.5 million for the player, which doesn’t sound like too much considering the money that gets thrown around these days in the transfer market.
Nathan made a name for himself among scouts in Europe after his performances for the U-17 team, and has already made five appearances for the U-20 team as well. He’s an attacking midfielder who usually starts things on the left side (think Philippe Coutinho) although he can play on the wing as well or behind the striker.
Chelsea have been able to beat out Manchester City for the talent (or at least it seems that way), making the most of a contract dispute with his club to clean up with what looks like a rather low and low-risk transfer fee.
Nathan was one of the best players in the 2013 U-17 World Cup, scoring five goals in six matches for a Brazilian side that didn’t make it past the quarterfinals.
Even if the signing is completed, don’t be surprised if it’s going to take some time before Chelsea start playing him. It’s most likely he’ll be going out on loan for at least one season before he gets a chance to break through the first team. There’s always a chance he never will. Just look at Lucas Piazon, who is with Frankfurt now.