Chelsea eyeing move for West Brom player | OneFootball

Chelsea are said to be weighing up a move to sign West Brom youngster Leonardo Cardoso, as per a recent report by Football Insider.

The highly rated 16-year-old is said to be a target for the Blues ahead of the fast approaching January transfer window, with the UEFA Champions League winners said to be aiming to snare the prospect away from the Baggies before he signs a professional contract with the Midlands side.

A Portuguese midfield player, Cardoso has impressed for the West Brom youth team and has featured internationally for both Portugal and England in more recent times as his stock continues to rise.

Albion regard him as one of the best young players in the country and are understandably keen to tie the teenager to a professional deal as soon as he turns 17.

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Chelsea are sure to not be the only top side interested in Cardoso, with the race to sign the best young talents having gone up a notch in recent years across England and Europe as a whole.

The Verdict

Given the talent that Cardoso possesses, West Brom will surely have been prepared for this type of speculation when considering how best to develop the midfielder.

His reputation at such a young age is so high that it was only a matter of time before some of the bigger clubs in the country came calling for his services.

The priority for the Baggies now is to underline to the player and his representatives that the Hawthorns is the best environment for Cardoso to continue his development as he looks towards breaking into the first team in the long run.

If that attempt fails, the club will at the very least be due some compensation from Chelsea if they manage to secure the midfielder’s signature at some point in the future.