Chelsea are expected to win the £12million race to sign Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Vasco de Gama.
The 18-year-old, who is likened in Brazil to Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, is in advanced talks over a January move after the Blues stole a march on Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali encouraged academy director Neil Bath to pursue a deal for Santos as part of his 2030 vision to find overseas talent to lift the level of homegrown players.
Chelsea are also in discussions to sign 16-year-old Brazilian star Endrick but face serious competition from PSG and Real Madrid.
Thiago Silva has already met the Palmeiras forward and his family at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground in a bid to convince him to reject rival clubs.
Chelsea are also close to completing a £50m move for RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku and are expected to be interested in midfield talent during the January transfer window.
