Chelsea have expressed interest in signing highly rated Brazilian U20 midfielder Gabriel Bontempo, according to Bolavip Brasil via Sport Witness.
The Blues have built one of the most advanced scouting structures across South America, significantly strengthening their presence in countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador to stay ahead of competing clubs in identifying emerging talent.
That strategy fits perfectly with the recruitment model established under BlueCo, where the focus has remained on acquiring highly rated young prospects and securing future signings well before they formally join the first-team setup.
In recent seasons, the club has signed the likes of Gabriel Angelo, Andrey Santos, Willian Estevao, Denner Evangelista and Deivid Washington from the Campeonato Brasileiro, while others, such as Aaron Anselmino, Kendry Paez and Deinner Ordonez, have been signed from the Argentine and Ecuadorian leagues.
The latest young South American talent linked with the club is Bontempo, according to Bolavip Brasil via Sports Witness, which claims the London giants are evaluating a summer swoop for the midfielder.
The Blues have been keeping tabs on the 21-year-old in recent months and are planning to launch a swoop to sign the youngster, according to the report.
Prospect
Amid Santos’ poor form, where they currently sit 15th in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, their financial constraint means that it would be difficult to retain Bontempo if they receive concrete offers amid interest from Chelsea, the Brazilian outlet adds.
It has been a torrid season for Chelsea, and there’s a strong chance they could miss out on European qualification entirely.
While their poor form and injuries to key players have seen youngsters like Jesse Derry feature for the first team, others like Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Mathis Eboué were recently included in Calum McFarlane’s squad for last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool.
Before now, Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George, currently on loan at Everton, were part of the first team at the beginning of the campaign, while other stars like Kiera Walsh, Shumaira Mheuka, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Genesis Antwi and Harrison Murray-Campbell have all previously been handed debuts under former coach Enzo Maresca.
This shows that Chelsea values prospects and is always willing to offer them first-team opportunities to impress, which makes a move for Bontempo, valued at £5m by Transfermarkt, a reasonable option.
However, the Blues could do with more experienced options in the first team, not just in midfield but also in other positions.
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