Barcelona miss out on 17-year-old Brazilian prodigy as Chelsea close €10 million deal | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have had more misses than hits when it comes to signings from Brazil in recent years.

The likes of Douglas Pereira, Matheus Fernandes, Emerson Royal, Malcom, and more recently, Vitor Roque, who returned to Brazil this week after an ill-fated stint in Spain, have all proven to be poor investments.

However, given the riches of talent on display in the South American nation, Barcelona scouts continue to keep an eye out for potential new signings.

Barcelona like Denner Evangelista

One such Brazilian prospect who has caught Barcelona’s eye in recent times is Corinthians youngster Denner Evangelista, according to SPORT.

The left-back, who has just turned 17, is an outstanding footballer for his age, an international at youth levels for Brazil, and possesses exceptional technical and physical attributes.

A number of Europe’s top clubs, including Barcelona, had him on their radar after watching him perform in the latest edition of the Copinha tournament.

Denner played a key role in helping Corinthians reach the finals of the U-20 tournament, despite a limited squad, where they eventually lost 3-2 against Sao Paulo. The teenage left-back scored a goal in the final.

Chelsea set to sign Denner

However, Barcelona are all set to miss out on Denner as Premier League big-spenders Chelsea are poised to sign the 17-year-old prodigy.

Indeed, Chelsea, after weeks of negotiations, moved ahead of their competitors and reached a preliminary agreement with Corinthians for €10 million.

An additional four million euros in performance-related bonuses are included, depending on Denner’s success with Corinthians’ first team before his departure. Additionally, Corinthians have secured a 15% profit clause for any future transfer.

As such, Chelsea have now beaten Barcelona and a host of other clubs who were tracking Denner, who will join another former Barça target, Estevao, at the London club in the near future.