CHELSEA CHASE MOURA
Brazilian club São Paulo have decided to reject the £ 32 million offer from Chelsea for star midfielder Lucas Moura. The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with a number of clubs across Europe including the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
However, due to the fact that Real Madrid and Barcelona are after Santos sensation Neymar, they are unlikely to provide a real competition for Lucas. Despite being only 19 years of age, the midfielder has already started dominating Brazilian football with his wide range of skills and incredible pace. He is seen by many as the Theo Walcott with an end result.
Chelsea have been interested in a number of high profile players after winning the Champions League this season. It is a remarkable shift in the transfer policy, which included buying physical players up until now. They have been concentrating on increasing the skill within the team by looking at signing players like Eden Hazard and Lucas. Chelsea have also made a £ 30 million bid for Lille playmaker Eden Hazard, who has already revealed that he will be coming to England next season. The 21-year-old Belgian is regarded as the next big thing in Europe, but his astronomical wage demands would make Lucas a more ideal signing for Chelsea.
"We did not accept the offer but of course Chelsea is the closest to signing Lucas. Inter made an offer of £20.2 million, but this was not considered sufficient by us. Real Madrid is one of these other interested clubs - there has been contact with the president Florentino Perez, who admires the player. Lucas is a big player who will triumph in Europe, but Sao Paulo will only sell him for an enormous offer," said Sao Paulo president Juvenal Juvenico. Chelsea have a number of Brazilians on-board, which could strengthen their position.