Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could be targeting a move for the highly-rated Brazilian youngster Thiago Maia this January.

Most Chelsea fans will be unfamiliar with the name, so here’s some more information about the man being touted as the most promising talent in Brazil right now.

The 19-year-old rose to fame following a series of outstanding displays for Brazil’s gold-medal winning football team during the 2016 Rio Olympics. He’s a left-footed central-midfield player, who enjoys defending but also uses the ball intelligently when required. His appetite for tackling and intercepting along with his ability to pick a pass are key traits that make this youngster such a hot-prospect.

The young Brazilian’s exploits have not gone unnoticed; clubs are reportedly queuing up to sign him from his current side Santos. Having settled on a 3-4-3 formation Antonio Conte is in the market for an all-action central midfield player to add competition for Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante.

However, Thiago Maia, who has been rated at around €20m, has also attracted interest from a host of other teams. Jose Mourinho’s Man United are rumoured to have taken an interest, which could result in a tug-of-war battle between the two clubs.

With Thiago Maia’s long-term future very much up in the air, here are THREE reasons why he should choose Chelsea over United this January.

Link up with fellow Brazilians

There are a host of Brazilians currently playing their football at Stamford Bridge, which could help the 19-year-old to settle quicker, allowing him to hit the ground running.

Thiago Maia will look up to the full internationals of the quality of Oscar, Luiz and Willian, who’ll be able take the youngster under their wing as he adapts to English life. They’ll know what the 19-year-old is going through having been in a similar situation themselves a number of years earlier.

If Thiago Maia is made to feel comfortable in London he could force his way into getting meaningful minutes, becoming a real asset to a Chelsea side pushing for silverware in the second half of the season.

Will get to learn form Matic and Kante

Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante are two of the best holding centre midfield players in the Premier League. Seeing as this is Thiago Maia’s position too it’s difficult to think of two more suited players to mentor the young Brazilian as he looks to make an impact in England.

Matic was undoubtedly the best holding midfielder in Chelsea’s title winning 2014-15 season, and the same can be said of Kante in Leicester’s title win last year. This shows real pedigree, performing at a consistently high level throughout the whole season is tricky. If they can help Thiago Maia do the same Chelsea could reap the rewards in the second half of the campaign.

Champions League football looks likely

All players want to play at the highest level, and you can be sure Thiago Maia is no different. With Champions League football looking a more realistic prospect at Chelsea this coming season a move to the Londoners could make more sense for the young Brazilian. Chelsea currently sit at the top of the Premier League and United in 6th place, six points off of the top four.

The 19-year-old would be testing himself against the best players in the biggest club competition in the world. At an age where he’ll be learning with every training session and game he plays the experience could prove invaluable for his long-term development.