Chelsea remain interested in signing Flamengo attacking midfielder Matheus Franca, according to The Athletic.
The website claims that the Blues’ move for the teenager has stalled as the player doesn’t want to be loaned out to Strasbourg. Franca would like to play in the Premier League straight away and the Blues can’t offer that at the moment. Fans on Twitter are split on whether it is worthwhile pursuing him:
No more teenagers this window.
— Aegon (@RobertPet73) July 28, 2023
He's better than Sterling
— Mario Manda (@mendynhio) July 28, 2023
They should use the money and sign important players now, Nawa O
— Luda Criss (@1ludacriss) July 28, 2023
We can buy him n loan him to EPL clubs
— lucciguccimacci (@lucciguccimacc) July 28, 2023
we have enough children as it is man
— leo (@virtualburner) July 28, 2023
He’s a good player, get him and give him chance to prove himself
— victor chidozie (@victordozzy) July 28, 2023
This is not caecedo
— Hk (@Hilal81105550) July 28, 2023
It may be time for Chelsea to focus on the present rather than the future
The aims of “Vision 2030” ( the name for the Blues’ youth recruitment strategy) are admirable, but you do feel that the London club need to help manager Mauricio Pochettino by adding more depth to the first-team squad.
If they can’t secure the signature of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, Pochettino will have an extremely inexperienced midfield to work with. Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Andrey Santos and Carney Chukwuemeka are all very talented in their own right but not all of them are ready to be regular starters in the Premier League.
Is investing £21m+ on another teenager wise?
While Franca could be another world-beater in the future, it is pretty clear that, based on Chelsea’s plan to loan him out, he won’t be part of the club’s first-team setup if they were to sign for them.
With that being the case, you would think that the €25m (£21m) that is needed to snap up the Brazilian could be better spent on investing in a senior player who is ready to make an instant impact.
