Chelsea facing European battle for Brazilian midfielder

Chelsea will face stiff competition from European heavyweights Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint Germain as they remain in the hunt to sign Brazilian midfielder, Thiago Maia in the January transfer window, according to Le 10 Sport (via talkSport).

The 19-year-old was part of the Brazil squad which won gold at the Rio Olympics this summer and had been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge throughout the window.

The Santos man is reportedly keen on a move to Europe during the January window, with his current club also happy to lose their man for the right price.

The defensive midfielder has a price-tag of £20m on his head, however, with both Atletico and PSG ready to go toe-to-toe with Antonio Conte for the man that is expected to rise during the window.

The Blues manager has already added to his defensive midfield ranks, signing Leicester’s N’Golo Kante over the summer and with the returning David Luiz also capable of being deployed in that role.