Chelsea appear determined to remain at the front of football’s increasingly frantic search for tomorrow’s superstars, with Palmeiras teenager Eduardo Conceicao emerging as their latest target.
According to Caught Offside, Chelsea have held a series of contacts with Palmeiras as they attempt to position themselves favourably ahead of Conceicao becoming eligible for a move to Europe at 18.
Manchester City’s ownership group have also made contact previously, while Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly monitoring the 16-year-old.
For Palmeiras, that represents precisely the sort of market they would want to create.
Palmeiras Set Ambitious €100m Valuation
Conceicao is already attracting comparisons with Neymar, inevitably generating enormous expectations around a player still at the beginning of his career.
“Palmeiras are bracing themselves for offers for Eduardo Conceicao,” a source with connections to the agents industry told Caught Offside. “Some figures at the club are already talking about an asking price as high as €100m (£84.5m).”
Whether anyone ultimately pays that figure is another question.
Chelsea’s deal for Estevao Willian, reportedly worth around £51m in total, provides a more realistic reference point. Yet Palmeiras can reasonably argue that the market has moved again, particularly if several European superpowers decide Conceicao represents a generational opportunity.
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Chelsea Strategy Gives Blues Transfer Advantage
Chelsea’s recruitment model has occasionally appeared excessive, almost an attempt to accumulate tomorrow before tomorrow arrives. In situations such as this, however, there is a clear logic behind it.
They have demonstrated a willingness to commit substantial money to players years before they can realistically become established Premier League footballers.
That matters with Conceicao, who could not realistically join a European first team…
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