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Chelsea in talks to sign exciting £34m star, ready to submit formal offer - report

Chelsea are in talks with Braga over the possible transfer of highly-rated Portuguese winger Roger Fernandes to Stamford Bridge this summer, according to A Bola.

The Blues, under Clearlake ownership, have prioritised the signing of young, promising players. This strategy has recorded some success, with the likes of Estevao Willian, Andrey Santos, and Dario Essugo among the young talents in the first team.

Meanwhile, Mike Penders, Mamadou Sarr, and Geovany Quenda are currently shining on loan at Strasbourg and Sporting CP, respectively. The club have now earmarked Roger Fernandes, who has been one of the breakout talents in Portugal, for a possible swoop.

According to A Bola, Chelsea are now in talks over a move for the Guinea-Bissau-born Portugal U21 international and are plotting a formal offer to trigger his release clause this summer.

With three years left on his contract at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, A Bola adds that the Portuguese outfit will only allow him to leave if his £34m release clause is met.

The report adds that the Blues have now initiated contact with Braga to begin negotiations for the transfer of the 19-year-old to Stamford Bridge, with the view of sending him on loan to BlueCo’s sister club Strasbourg in Ligue 1 for the rest of the campaign, as per the report.

Prospect

Roger progressed through Braga’s academy system, making his senior debut for the Primeira Liga outfit in the Super Cup against Sporting Lisbon in July 2021.

Since then, the Portuguese has featured in 90 matches across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing 16 assists.

The youngster is a naturally left-footed winger who often cuts inside from the right side of the pitch, although he is also capable of operating as a full-back or wing-back on either side.

That level of versatility may have appealed to Chelsea’s recruitment team, yet it is worth noting that the majority of his outings for Braga last season were played from the right wing.

Manager Enzo Maresca currently has Estevao and Pedro Neto available, while Geovany Quenda will also join from Sporting at the conclusion of the campaign—raising questions over Roger’s pathway into the first team should a transfer to Stamford Bridge materialise.

With barely 48 hours left until the transfer deadline, it’ll be interesting to see if Chelsea will submit an offer to complete a swoop or make a pre-agreement with Braga for him to join next summer.

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