Chelsea have a strong Brazilian presence in their squad right now. Joao Pedro is the first-choice number 9 despite having had an up-and-down run of form throughout his debut season with the club. Estevao has been viewed as one of the pillars of this team for years to come. And Andrey Santos has grown in importance over time, and might be looking at a possible starting role, if Enzo Fernandez leaves in the summer.
Considering the youth-centric transfer policy that BlueCo have in place, Brazil is one of the best areas for them to focus on. In fact, there were rumours of them investing in a Brazilian club. That has not happened yet.
The Bleus continue to be linked with Brazilian players though. And this time around, another Palmeiras appears to be on their radar, having signed Estevao from the club already.
According to UOL (via GOAL), Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all made contact with the representatives of Eduardo Conceicao.
Who is Eduardo Conceicao?
Conceicao is 16 years of age. Naturally, he has not done anything of note at the senior. The Brazilian forward has been making his presence felt in youth football though.
In 13 U20 games for Palmeiras, he has five goals and three assists to his name. During the Copinha tournament, he earned comparisons with Vinicius Junior, as he scored four goals and three assists in seven outings.
Naturally, Conceicao has caught the attention of clubs around Europe. It looks like he is the next great talent to come out of Palmeiras’ famed academy setup, which shows no signs of stopping.
Unsurprisingly, Palmeiras have already put themselves in a strong negotiating position. Conceicao has a contract that runs until 2029. Also, there is a €100 million release clause for clubs outside of Brazil. Offers have already started to come in.
Offers have already been coming in for Conceicao amid Chelsea interest
Joao Paulo Sampaio, the coordinator of Palmeiras’ incredible youth academy, said while speaking on ESPN’s ‘Fala a Fonte’ program:
Then there’s a 16-year-old boy from our academy, Eduardo, who is about to play in the U-17 South American Championship for the national team; we’ve also received two offers for him between €20m and €25m, excluding bonuses.
It would be in line with Chelsea’s transfer model if they end up spending big on signing Conceicao. But is he the player that the Blues need right now?
Yes and no. Chelsea can always do with rising talents who have the chance to develop into top players. Estevao has been one of their best players this season. That being said, they also need to find the right balance between youth and experience. Some first-team-ready players need to be brought in this summer to make sure that the club is in a position to compete with the best in the present as well. Otherwise, they will start losing their top players soon enough.
