Barcelona and Chelsea interested in signing 18-year-old Brazilian left-back

Few teams have made as much effort in recent years to invest in Brazilian football talent as Chelsea, who recently signed Estevao Willian for a fee of €60 million. The latest talent they have spotted is Santos left-back Souza, but they have Barcelona for company.

The 18-year-old impressed for Santos in Serie B, making eight senior appearances and providing two assists. Souza is being called Marcelo Vieira's successor by some and is intended for Brazil's under-17s.

Diario AS say he stands out for his speed, technical ability and competent defensive performance. He has an 80% success rate in duels and recovers 8.98 balls per match. Chelsea are interested in signing Souza and want to loan him to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 for a year. Meanwhile, Barcelona are also considering a move for him. Souza has an offer from Saudi Arabia, but Santos wants to extend his contract, which expires in 2025.