Chelsea have agreed on a £12.9m fee to sign talented 18-year-old Brazilian forward Angelo Gabriel from Santos, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Brazilian will join the Blues after agreeing personal terms on a deal until 2028. Chelsea plan to send the 18-year-old on loan to Ligue 1 side, Strasbourg, which was recently acquired by The Blues owners, as per the The Athletic.
Chelsea chairman, Todd Boehly, is keen on signing the best young talents in the world and South America has been a place of preference for the Blues owner. Along with Kendry Paez and Andrey Santos, Angelo will become another addition from the South American continent.
The Brazilian has been a mainstay in Santos’ first team since making his debut as a 15-year-old breaking Pele’s record as the club’s second-youngest debutant. Since then, he has gone on to make 127 appearances for the club.
Chelsea poach Angelo Gabriel from Santos’ renowned talent pool
Over the years, Santos has developed young talents who have grown to become football superstars. Legendary Brazilian great, Pele came through the ranks at Santos, as did Neymar and Rodrygo Goes.
Chelsea have agreed €15m fee for 2004 talented Brazilian striker Ângelo, here we go! 🔵🇧🇷 #CFC
Ângelo agreed personal terms on a deal until 2029. He’ll start pre season at Chelsea then possible loan.
ℹ️ Barça clause: they’ve 48h to match Chelsea bid — but they will NOT do it. pic.twitter.com/CtI4zLlcst
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 28, 2023
Angelo is not the most prolific forward statistically with just five goals in his professional career. The 18-year-old is more of a creator than a goal scorer. His explosiveness, dribbling, pace, and willingness to take players on make him an exciting player with limitless potential.
Barcelona also had an option of first refusal on Angelo but decided against pursuing the young talent, instead focusing on fellow 18-year-old star Vitor Roque, for whom a deal has been struck.
