Chelsea take major step towards completing first signing of Enzo Maresca era: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly taken a major step towards the signing of Brazilian fullback Pedro Lima from Sport Recife. The 17-year-old made the jump to the senior level just six months ago and instantly became a subject of interest from top European sides.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, an agreement on personal terms has been reached between Recife and French side Strasbourg. Chelsea's owners, the BlueCo consortium, led by Todd Boehly, had acquired close to 100% of the side's ownership in June 2023.

In a post on X, Romano claimed that Lima's transfer to Strasbourg will be made with a view to moving to Stamford Bridge in the future.

With the acquisition of Strasbourg, BlueCo are reportedly believed to have taken the first step towards establishing a footballing empire similar to the City Group or the Red Bull clubs. The signing of Lima will be the first indirect signing made by Chelsea, with the 17-year-old spending his formative years honing his craft in Ligue 1 before moving to the EPL.

The Blues have already sent their young talents over to Strasbourg on loan to gain experience of first-team football. Brazilian right-winger Angelo spent the entire 2023-24 campaign in Alsace, while central midfielder Andrey Santos joined them in the winter transfer window.

In terms of right-backs, newly-appointed Blues manager Enzo Maresca currently has club captain Reece James and French youngster Malo Gusto at his disposal. 18-year-old academy graduate Josh Acheampong was handed his debut in the Blues' 2-0 win over Tottenham (May 3) and could be one for the future as well.

However, James could make a move away from the club amid rumours about his departure to meet financial fair play (FFP) regulations. In that eventuality, Lima could be brought over as a potential replacement.

"We have to see" - Fabrizio Romano says there have been no negotiations despite Chelsea's interest in Championship star

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that 'nothing has started yet' in terms of negotiations between Chelsea and their long-term target Crysencio Summerville of Leeds United.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a fantastic 2023-24 campaign for the Lilywhites, bagging 21 goals and 10 assists in 49 games across all competitions. However, he couldn't inspire his side over the final hurdle as they fell 3-0 to Southampton in the EFL Championship playoff final.

Despite the setback, top Premier League sides like Liverpool and Chelsea have maintained their interest in signing him in the upcoming transfer window. However, Romano has claimed that there have been no negotiations and that it was still 'early' for this transfer to be discussed.

In his column for CaughtOffside's The Daily Briefing, the Italian wrote:

“Liverpool and Chelsea have been scouting Crysencio Summerville for months. In terms of negotiations, nothing has started yet... As it is still early for this transfer. The appreciation from both clubs is still there, so we have to see if they decide to approach Leeds for Summerville at some point during the transfer window.”