Barcelona and Chelsea interested in signing 18-year-old Brazilian left-back | OneFootball

Few sides have made more of an effort to invest in Brazilian football talent in recent years as Chelsea, who most recently brought in Estevao Willian for a fee of €60m. The latest talent they have set eyes on is Santos left-back Souza, but they have Barcelona for company.

The 18-year-old has been impressing for Santos in Serie B, making 8 senior appearances, and providing 2 assists. Souza has been dubbed by some as the successor to Marcelo Vieira, and features for Brazil’s under-17s.

Diario AS say that he stands out for his acceleration, technical ability and competent defensive showings too. He has an 80% success rate in duels, and recovers 8.98 balls per game. Chelsea are interested in signing Souza, and would loan him to Strasbourg for a year in Ligue 1. Meanwhile Barcelona are also considering a move for him. Souza has an offer from Saudi Arabia, but Santos are looking to extend his contract, which expires in 2025.