Chelsea down Real Madrid as insider confirms below-value offer set to be accepted for striker | OneFootball

Chelsea target Deivid Washington playing for Santos

Chelsea have reportedly lodged a bid totalling £17.2million for Santos forward Deivid Washington, and while the Brazilian outfit wants £26million, it is set to be accepted.

Last season was rife with forward moves at Stamford Bridge. Indeed, six attackers joined the club, with Joao Felix heading to London in January on loan, and the rest on permanent deals.

This summer has seen four more attackers arrive, but a number have left, too. New boys Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have shared the no.9 role in pre season, but Mauricio Pochettino has been considering making another addition in the position.

He’s since bitten the bullet, and attempted to snare Santos striker Washington. That’s according to Globo Esporte, who reports the Blues have made an offer which totals around £17.2million.

That’s some way below the 18-year-old’s release clause of approximately £26million. And while Santos would reportedly ideally like to make that sort of money, they are ‘studying’ Chelsea’s offer and it’s ‘possible’ that they accept it.

In fact, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports the Brazilian outfit are ‘set to accept’ it, with the striker having ‘agreed personal terms’.

It would be a huge statement for the Blues to secure the signing. Of course, at 18 years of age, Washington is relatively raw – he’s played 16 senior games for Santos, scoring two goals.

However, there’s clearly a lot of features of his game that make him an exciting prospect. Reported interest from Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund would simply not exist if those sides did not feel he had potential to turn into a star.

It’s worth remembering that Neymar joined Barcelona from Santos. While he was three years Washington’s senior and clearly a very prodigious talent already, he became one of the world’s very best players.

It’s far too soon to put those sort of expectations on Washington, but he wouldn’t be the first player to head to Europe from Brazil and make a name for himself.

His former teammate, Angelo – also 18 – has made the move to Stamford Bridge from Santos this summer. It could be easier for the pair to ease into English football and progress their games if they’re allowed to do so alongside one another.

They may not get to do so immediately, as Romano suggests Washington will cut his teeth out on loan at Strasbourg.