Struggling heavyweights Corinthians ‘going after’ Chelsea’s Lucas Piazon — report

After spending the last 5.5 years of his 7.5-year Chelsea “career” on various loan deals across Europe, 24-year-old Lucas Piazon stayed with the club this past summer and was even registered to play in the Premier League as 1 of the 17 allowed non-homegrown players. He was not registered for the Europa League however, which means he has about as much chance of actually playing for the team as you or I.

He has featured in two PL2 matches for the U23s, but it would appear that all involved are just waiting for his contract to run out at the end of the season.

So, what may be next for the man who made three Chelsea appearances as an 18-year-old — including one in the Premier League when he missed a penalty — but zero since?

According to Fox Sports Brazil, Corinthians are ready to swoop in and whisk him back to Sao Paulo.

Corinthians president Andrés Sanchez is currently on a European tour, seeking players who could reinforce the team that beat Chelsea in the 2012 Club World Cup final. Despite winning the Séria A last season for the second time in three seasons, the 7-time champions are in a bit of a pickle, with only three points separating them from the relegation zone with four games left in the schedule. Having won just 2 of their last 13 games, it’s far from assured that they will survive the drop despite their status as one of the biggest clubs in the country.

But, should they survive, they would be one of the few clubs in the country who could pay a comparable salary as to what Piazon might earn if he stayed in England or Europe. Whether he’d be willing to head back home after building his entire professional career in Europe remains to be seen however. Either way, his time at Chelsea looks to be coming to a definitive end.