Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are all keeping an eye on Vasco da Gama youngster Breno Sales.
The 16-year-old is already attracting serious attention from Europe, and Vasco have even turned down a €10m (£8.7m) offer for him.
That gives the three Premier League clubs something to think about. Vasco clearly believe they have a player worth protecting and aren’t in any rush to cash in.
Premier League trio watching Breno Sales
Brazilian journalistGustavo Tutinha reports that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have all shown an interest in the defender.
He doesn’t say which club made the €10m (£8.7m) offer. What he does make clear is that Vasco rejected it.
Sales is a left-footed centre-back who turns 17 in November. And his route to the position has been a slightly unusual one.
He started his development as a striker before moving to left-back. He’s now playing centrally and has spent much of this season with Vasco’s U20 side. That’s despite being considerably younger than most of the players around him.
The youngster was part of the Vasco team which won the Brazilian U20 championship this year. He also won the U17 Copa do Brasil in 2025.
Sales has been getting plenty of recognition at international level too. He’s a regular in Brazil’s youth setup and started for the U17s at the South American Championship.
He’s expected to be involved at the U17 World Cup in November. That would give Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City another chance to watch him against some of the best players in his age group.
Youngsters who made the move in recent years
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Young players moving directly from Brazilian clubs to Premier League clubs, October 2021–September 2026 Brazilian club English club Joined Premier League appearances for signing club
Marquinhos São Paulo Arsenal 2022 1
Danilo Palmeiras Nottingham Forest 2023 50
João Gomes Flamengo Wolves 2023 116
Andrey Santos Vasco da Gama Chelsea 2023 27
Ângelo Gabriel Santos Chelsea 2023 0
Matheus França Flamengo Crystal Palace 2023 14
Deivid Washington Santos Chelsea 2023 2
Murillo Corinthians Nottingham Forest 2023 98
Luís Guilherme Palmeiras West Ham 2024 17
Pedro Lima Sport Recife Wolves 2024 12
André Fluminense Wolves 2024 75
Gustavo Nunes Grêmio Brentford 2024 3
Vitor Reis Palmeiras Manchester City 2025 2
Estêvão Palmeiras Chelsea 2025 26
Rayan Vasco da Gama Bournemouth 2026 20
Allan Elias Palmeiras Manchester City 2026 0
Vasco in a strong position
There doesn’t appear to be much pressure on Vasco to make a quick decision. Sales already has a professional contract running until the end of 2028. The Brazilian club also feel their improved financial situation allows them to take a tougher stance over their young players.
That’s important here. Vasco don’t just want to sell their best academy prospects as soon as European money arrives. They believe Sales can develop further, help them on the pitch and become considerably more valuable. Rejecting €10m (£8.7m) for a 16-year-old certainly backs that up.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City appear to be positioning themselves early. Any eventual move to England would have to wait because of his age, but there’s an obvious reason to get involved now.
Sales is already playing above his age group, has international experience and is a left-footed centre-back. With the U17 World Cup coming next, Vasco may soon have even more clubs knocking on their door.