Chelsea are close to striking a deal to sign 16-year-old Corinthians left-back Denner, reports have claimed.

The Blues have spent vast sums on young players since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover, with a particular focus on South America. Estevao Willian will join this summer in a deal worth an initial £29m, with Ecuador midfielder Kendry Paez also making the move. Argentinian centre-back Aaron Anselmino already arrived at Stamford Bridge this month.

Andrey Santos, Angelo Gabriel and Deivid Washington are among the Brazilians to make the move to Chelsea under the current ownership, and according to Globo Esporte, 16-year-old Denner could be next.

Talks are advancing over a deal which would be worth an initial £6.7m, plus a further £3.8m in add-ons. Should an agreement be reached, Denner would not be able to join Chelsea until the summer of 2026.

Denner, the cousin of Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, is incredibly highly rated by Corinthians, who are reluctant to sell but are at risk of losing the teenage defender to another Brazilian side because of a low release clause – around £1.4m – in his current contract. The offer of fresh terms has been declined and so Corinthians are prioritising an overseas sale.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to send 19-year-old striker Washington back to boyhood side Santos on loan. Chelsea paid £17.2m to sign Washington from Santos in 2023 but have watched him make just three senior appearances, with the teenager instead spending almost all of his time in the Under-21s.

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