Chelsea will reportedly reignite their interest in Santos midfielder Thiago Maia in January after being turned away in the summer transfer window.
The 19-year-old already has 44 senior appearances under his belt and has represented Brazil at U17, U20 and U23 level, helping his country to Olympic gold in Rio earlier this summer.
His performances have attracted the attention of Chelsea, with the Daily Mail reporting that they will revive their interest in him in January when the market re-opens.
It’s claimed that Santos weren’t keen on selling their prized asset before the end of the Brazilian domestic season, and so in turn they delayed the transfer.
However, it hasn’t been enough to put Chelsea off, as they are said to be willing to offer £15m in the New Year to snap up the defensive midfielder.
Antonio Conte had a busy end to the transfer window after signing both David Luiz and Marcos Alonso on deadline day, adding to the signings of Michy Batshuayi and N’Golo Kante.
As he continues to look to stamp his mark on the squad and bring in players that fit his ideas and style, it appears as though Maia ticks the boxes in terms of what he’s looking for to bolster his midfield further.
It’s been an impressive start to life in England for the former Juventus and Italy coach with three wins in as many Premier League games. However, he’ll want to sustain that momentum through to January and beyond, and new signings will certainly help him and his team do that.