According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have joined Manchester United in the “chase” — so much chasing, always! — for FC Porto defender Éder Militão.
The 20-year-old only joined the Portuguese outfit in August, from Brazilian side São Paulo, and has had time to make only 14 appearances in total (including 5 in the Champions League), but apparently that’s been enough to garner attention from the rest of Europe already. Porto paid just €4m (with a 10 per cent sell-on clause) for the defender whose contract was running down, but according to the rumors, he’s now “worth” €50m — of course he is! — which is also the release clause of his contract.
Magic-man defender Militão made his name as a right back in Brazil, where he had a habit of shutting down flashy wingers, but has now shifted to centre back, using his good height (1.86m = 6’1”), excellent strength, and solid reading of the game to keep centre forwards at bay. The eye test is backed up by solid defensive statistics, for whatever those are worth in a team that dominates the rest of the Portuguese League. He’s not afraid of a dribble either — he did play full back in Brazil after all — and chips in with a fair share of goals as well. He’s very much a “modern” centre back and if he grows his hair out, maybe he could even be the new David Luiz, just as equally adored and praised and respected across all of Europe and the world!
One of Eder’s representatives is Giuliano Bertolucci, who has close ties with all of Chelsea’s Brazilian players, but the real hurdle to any negotiation if Chelsea were truly interested would be famously tight-fisted Porto themselves.
It’s probably not a stretch to say that Militão is hardly worth a €50m transfer fee barely six months after Porto paid €4m, regardless of how good he may or may not have been in his first dozen or so games for his new club. Maybe in a few summers?