Chelsea are part of a fresh winter market story, as Benfica are closely monitoring youngster Tyrique George according to reports in Portugal.
The information comes from Record, which says the Lisbon club have already made contact to understand the conditions of a potential deal.
Even so, Benfica are not expected to push forward at this stage. Chelsea are asking for a very high fee, and several other clubs are also tracking the situation.
George has been on Benfica’s list for some time. The report recalls that the club already considered him last summer, during Rui Costa’s planning for attacking reinforcements. At that point, Fulham tried to sign the 19-year-old with a bid of around £21m (€25m), but the move did not go through.
A loan deal with a mandatory purchase clause is seen as a possible workaround. Because George is a Chelsea academy product and was born after 2005, he would not count against international loan limits. Current regulations restrict the number of players clubs can send abroad on temporary deals.
Chelsea promoted him to the first-team squad last season. He has since recorded three goals and one assist in 11 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign. And his contract at Stamford Bridge runs for another year and a half.
With less than a week left in the winter window, José Mourinho recently confirmed that Benfica’s squad remains open to both arrivals and departures. Chelsea, for now, are holding firm on their valuation. We’ll see if Benfica decide to test that stance before the deadline.