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Deivid Washington celebrates his goal for Santos

Chelsea have unearthed Brazil’s next star and he already has us swooning over his tekkers

Ben Stewart •

Chelsea’s fresh recruitment policy of snapping up the best young talents from around the globe is fascinating and they might have struck gold with their latest recruit from Brazil.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Brazilian forward Deivid Washington is on his way to England this week to complete a €20million move from Santos.

The 18-year-old will then pen a deal until June 2029 with an option until 2030. Chelsea fans are already starting to get excited and to be honest, we don’t blame them.

Stamford Bridge has been home to some great samba stars in the past and Washington looks well-equipped to follow in their footsteps.

At just 18, he is still incredibly raw, but the potential is obvious to see. He’s the sort of player that can kill you with the drop of a shoulder and he has an eye for goal too.

Just take this goal he scored last year for the Santos Under-17s for example. Washington picks up the ball with three defenders around him but manages to make light work of shrugging them off.

A burst of pace to beat the first man, a couple of stopovers to confuse the second defender and then a filthy flip-flap to deceive his last opponent.

The finish isn’t too shabby either. We can’t wait to see him in the Premier League.

It goes without saying that making the step up from the Brazilian Under-17s to the Premier League is a huge jump, but Washington has also had a fair few first-team opportunities with Santos.

He made his professional debut in April this year and has since made 16 first-team appearances. In that time he’s managed to score two goals and provide plenty of entertaining moments.

His razor-sharp instincts in front of goal are already obvious to see. Even with six defenders in the box, he still managed to find a finish.

The 18-year-old predominately plays as a number nine, although he can also operate as a wide man on the left or right-hand side. That versatility should come in handy for him, especially under a manager like Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea will soon have to make a call on the forward and whether or not to send him out on loan for the season to continue his development.

Earlier in the week, Romano clarified that Chelsea are currently debating whether or not to send him to Strasbourg for the season. This would mean he gets the chance to adapt to European football away from the Premier League spotlight.

Given how raw Washington looks at this stage, a loan deal could be the best option for all parties. The forward will get more minutes on the pitch and Chelsea will get to see how he adapts in a new environment.

Give it a year or two and we wouldn’t bet against the Brazilian youngster having a significant impact in the Premier League. The hype is real but for good reason.

By Ben Stewart

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