Chelsea
are closing in on a deal to sign 19-year-old Nathan from Brazil's Serie A,
according to
Sky sources.
The highly-rated midfielder broke through the ranks at Atletico Paranaense
just under a year ago, but is already making waves in South America...
What’s the story?
Nathan turned 19 last month, and according to Sky sources he flew into
London for a medical at Chelsea on Tuesday, a fee of £4.5m apparently
agreed.
The youngster, full name Nathan Allan de Souza, is said to have fallen out
with the Brazilian side after a contract dispute, allowing Chelsea to dive
in and beat off competition from Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
What is his experience?
Nathan has represented Brazil at U17 and U20 levels, and starred in the U17
World Cup in United Arab Emirates, where he scored five goals and was
included in the tournament’s best XI.
He worked his way up through the Atletico Paranaense ranks, making his debut
for the first team in May 2014, impressing as the Curitiba side finished
eighth in Serie A.
He played 11 times for his boyhood club last season, starting three times,
but represented Atletico another seven times in the Paranaense 1 tournament,
scoring once.
What sort of player is he?
Nathan’s most natural position is in an attacking midfield role, but he has
also been deployed as a second striker for both Brazil U20 and Atletico
Paranaense.
He is direct-thinking, strong with both feet but primarily right-footed, and
is seen more as a provider than a goalscorer.
His international partnership with former Paranaense team-mate Thiago
Mosquito was likened to the great Brazilian double-act of Romario and
Bebeto.
Right-hand man Thiago told the FIFA website in 2013: "One day we might be
like Bebeto and Romario or Ganso and Neymar, but right now our only job is
to develop and grow because we are still young."
How will he fit in?
The decision to join Chelsea would make perfect sense for the youngster,
given Chelsea already have several Brazilian-born players on their books in
Filipe Luis, Ramires, Willian, Diego Costa, Oscar, Lucas Piazon and Wallace.
On the flip side, Chelsea’s use of younger players has come under scrutiny
in recent years, the Blues only giving a total of 13 first-team appearances
to players under 20 years old over the last two seasons.
However, reports in Brazil suggest Nathan is already highly developed as a
player, and would be given a full pre-season to fit in at Stamford Bridge.
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