Chelsea haven’t gone away in their pursuit of Gabriel Bontempo, with the Santos midfielder still being closely followed after taking another big step in Brazil.
The Blues had already been linked with the youngster earlier this year, and his situation has only become more interesting since then.
Bontempo has established himself as an important player for Santos, helped their recovery in the league and now earned his first Brazil call-up under Carlo Ancelotti. So what exactly has caught Chelsea’s attention?
Chelsea still watching closely
Brazil’s Bolavip have confirmed Chelsea’s scouting department continue to monitor Bontempo. And Santos, meanwhile, are becoming more reluctant to simply cash in.
Bontempo has five goals and four assists from 44 appearances this season and is now described as an undisputed starter under manager Cuca.
That rise has changed the mood around a possible sale. We previously covered that Santos were prepared to start conversations at around €12m (£10.4m), largely because of their financial situation.
The latest information suggests they would now prefer to keep Bontempo and wait for an offer they consider genuinely attractive.
| Every Chelsea signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | £120m |
| Maxence Lacroix | Crystal Palace | £52m |
| Geovany Quenda | Sporting | £41.5m |
| Marco Palestra | Atalanta | £47m |
| Valentin Barco | RC Strasbourg | £34m |
| Pep Chavarría | Rayo Vallecano | £17m |
| Emiliano Martínez | Aston Villa | £7.8m |
| Danny Welbeck | Brighton | £5.1m |
| Jordan Henderson | Brentford | Free |
What Bontempo could bring Chelsea
Bontempo is a slightly unusual midfielder in modern football. The 21-year-old is closer to an old-school creative midfielder than a high-volume attacker constantly demanding the ball.
He can play as an attacking midfielder, an advanced number eight or start wider before moving inside. But his game isn’t really built around pace or taking defenders on repeatedly. Much of his quality actually comes when he receives between the lines.
Bontempo is very comfortable taking the ball in tight areas, quickly seeing the next pass and keeping an attack moving. He combines particularly well in short spaces and doesn’t need many touches to create danger.
That can sometimes make him look less involved than other creative midfielders. He isn’t constantly trying to force the game.
When Bontempo does get involved in the right areas, though, his passing and decision-making tend to make something happen.
There’s also more defensive work in his game than you’d expect from a traditional number ten. His background as a deeper midfielder probably helps there.
He still has some obvious development ahead of him. For someone with his technique, Bontempo could be more selfish around the penalty area.
He doesn’t shoot from distance often enough and could make more runs into the box. Those are areas where Santos have already started encouraging him to be more aggressive.
That helps explain Chelsea’s interest too. Bontempo already has the technical base and versatility, while there is still plenty that can be developed.
