According to Football London, Chelsea are looking to sign 17-year-old Brazilian right-back Pedro Lima as they line-up a potential long term replacement for Reece James.
The report says Chelsea have opened talks with the players agent about a potential move to West London. However, the Blues face competition as Lima has also been linked with a switch to Manchester City and has ‘scouts from all over the world’ watching him.
Lima currently plays for Serie B side Sport Recife, whose chief Joao Marcelo Barros confirmed wholesale interest in the player’s signing. He was quoted saying the following lines:
“There’s nothing very new there. Scouts from all over the world have been watching him. Maybe the news won’t get out, but a lot of scouts have come from abroad this year.”
Chelsea have recently invested heavily in signing younger talents from South America and are looking to execute another low-risk transaction as an answer to their problems at right-back.
The report suggests Lima could be a ‘possible Reece James replacement’ after the Chelsea captain has endured a dreadful time with injuries having been unavailable for most of this season.
Chelsea would have Lima for 2024/25
FIFA regulations permit clubs to sign players before they turn 18, however, they can officially join the respective team only upon reaching the legal age.
In Pedro Lima’s case, he will be an 18-year-old on 1st July this year, perfectly in time to participate in pre-season for Chelsea and be a part of their roster for the 2024/25 season if he were to join the club.
Though it is initially unforeseen that he will make the breakthrough into the starting eleven, Reece James can mentor him and prepare him to take over the reigns in the next few years.
The England right-back’s fitness will be particularly important to alleviate pressure off Lima’s shoulders if he is indeed to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer.
He is not the only South American the Blues are keeping tabs on. The report says they also want to sign the in-demand Estevao Willian for a fee rumoured to reach £53 million so it could be a double swoop on the Brazilian market.
