Chelsea have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Corinthians midfielder Breno Bidon, as per Caught Offside.
Since Todd Boehly’s takeover, the Blues have focused on signing highly talented young players instead of purchasing experienced, proven names. Tosin Adarabioyo, who is 28, is their oldest outfield player.
The West London club currently have Enzo Fernández, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, Moisés Caicedo, and Andrey Santos as options to deploy in the engine room, with the Argentinian, who is still just 25, the oldest.
However, Essugo and Lavia have continued to struggle with fitness problems. Santos, meanwhile, has been playing regularly since Liam Rosenior’s arrival as the new manager last month, having struggled to find regular game time under Enzo Maresca.
As a result, Fernandez and Caicedo have been taking on enormous workloads this season. Now, Caught Offside claim that the Blues are planning to sign a new midfielder and are looking for a young option once again.
Chelsea have earmarked Bidon as a serious option and have been monitoring his development closely before making a potential swoop in the summer transfer window.
The 20-year-old’s existing deal is set to run until 2029, and he has a £87m release clause. However, Corinthians are ready to let him leave for a significantly cheaper deal and are open to accepting just around £26m.
Battle
However, the report state that purchasing the Brazilian won’t be straightforward for the West London club as Arsenal are showing the strongest interest in signing him.
The Gunners are most ‘advanced’ in finalising the operation, having already made contact through intermediaries. The Emirates Stadium could even be a tempting destination for Bidon if he were to leave Corinthians.
Moreover, Barcelona, plus clubs from Italy and Portugal, have also registered their interest in signing him, having been impressed by his recent performances. So, he isn’t short of potential suitors at the moment.
Bidon is a left-footed box-to-box midfielder by trait but is also comfortable in the CDM and No.10 roles. Although he is still just 20, he has already played over 100 senior games for Corinthians.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club or Liam Rosenior’s side eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services.
