Chelsea
Premier League • England
Chelsea agree new winger signing as Boehly beats PSG to player dubiously compared to ex-Man Utd wideman
Reports in Portugal claim Chelsea have beaten PSG and AC Milan to a Benfica deal involving a player who’s drawing comparisons to a Man Utd winger from the Sir Alex Ferguson years.
Chelsea’s squad has already undergone major surgery since Todd Boehly and his Clearlake partners took charge. Over £550m has been spent on new signings over the last two windows, though there’ll be plenty more transactions to come.
Indeed, the Evening Standard recently named 15 Blues players who could depart this summer. Among them were three players who arrived at Stamford Bridge in Boehly’s tenure.
On the arrivals front, a new centre-forward is wanted, while Christopher Nkunku has already signed off on a £53m move from RB Leipzig.
Bubbling under the radar has also been Chelsea’s determination to land some of world football’s brightest stars.
Indeed, goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, right-back Malo Gusto, midfield trio Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Andrey Santos, and striker David Datro Fofana have all arrived at Stamford Bridge in the last 12 months. Crucially, all are aged 20 or under and their best years lay ahead.
Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Paez looks set to join the Blues revolution, as does Benfica winger Diego Moreira, according to the Portuguese press.
Diego Moreira ‘has already signed for Chelsea’
Record report Moreira, 18, will leave Benfica once his contract expires at the end of the current campaign. The outlet then declare Moreira ‘has already signed for Chelsea’.
With an agreement already struck, Moreira is primed to move to west London this summer when the season ends.
Moreira is a left-footed winger who can operate on either flank. He holds dual Belgian and Portuguese citizenship, though has played for Portugal’s youth ranks at both Under-16 and Under-18 level.
Moreira was a key figure in helping Benfica win the 2021-22 UEFA Youth League. He’s also drawn comparisons to former Man Utd winger Nani due to his blistering pace and maverick tendencies.
Nani was a four-time Premier League winner at Old Trafford during the latter Ferguson years. However, there was always a sense he never reached his true potential and Chelsea will hope the same cannot be said of Moreira later in his career.
Both the Daily Mail and Football London added weight to the Moreira to Chelsea claims with their own pieces citing Record’s information.
Both outlets also confirmed Chelsea had successfully fended off stiff competition from AC Milan and PSG for Moreira.