Chelsea set to sign Benfica youngster Diego Moreira

Chelsea are one step away from completing the signing of Benfica youngster Diego Moreira on a free transfer, according to Record.

Moreira signed his first professional contract at Benfica after graduating from the Portuguese club’s academy last summer.

The Belgium-born Portuguese forward plays for Benfica B and has made 25 appearances across all competitions this season, bagging three goals and four assists.

Moreira is one of the highly-rated young prospects to come through the youth set-up at Benfica but refused to extend his contract beyond the end of the season.

The 18-year-old is set to leave the Portuguese club as a free agent when his contract expires this summer and has already signed for Chelsea.

Chelsea look to have won the race for his services, but it was no walk in the park, with the Blues reportedly fending off interest from Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.

The Blue are on a mission to recruit some of the most exciting talents across the world, and Moreira checks all the boxes for them.

The teenager represented Belgium at the under-15 tournament but switched allegiances to Portugal and has played for them at various youth levels.

Moreira will follow in the footsteps of Independiente del Valle wonderkid Kendry Paez, who is also set to join Chelsea in a deal worth around €20 million.

The Blues beat Premier League rivals Manchester United and Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund to the Ecuadorian U17 star.

However, the 15-year-old will only link up with the Stamford Bridge club when he turns 18 in 2025.

Despite already boasting one of the most expensive squads in Europe, the Blues are looking to further enrich their talent pool with an eye on building a young and exciting squad ready to compete in the near future.