“Everything has its time” – Chelsea target preaches patience as Blues keep close watch

Chelsea have been watching Luis Pacheco with a view to potentially doing something in January, and the Palmeiras youngster has now spoken about his future amid interest from abroad.

As we recently revealed with exclusivity, Palmeiras have presented the 18-year-old to several clubs. Chelsea were among those to show interest and have continued to keep an eye on him.

They want more time to assess Pacheco, which is why January is more realistic than the summer was.

Pacheco addresses his future

Itatiaia have now interviewed the midfielder, who appears in no hurry to leave Brazil.

“Every player has dreams and objectives for their career, but right now my focus is completely on Palmeiras,” he said.

“I want to keep developing, earning my place and helping the club. Whatever happens in the future will be a consequence of the work I do now.”

Palmeiras academy coordinator João Paulo Sampaio has revealed Pacheco received offers from abroad at a very young age. The Brazilian club turned them down.

Itatiaia say Palmeiras know the level of talent they have and currently want to develop him further before thinking about a transfer.

Pacheco has made 11 senior appearances this year and supporters have been asking to see more of him. And he’s well aware of that backing, although he’s trying not to get carried away.

“I’m very happy with the affection from the supporters and I try to use it as motivation,” Pacheco explained.

“But I try to keep my feet on the ground and focus on my work. I know everything has its time and I want to be ready when the opportunities come.”

Chelsea have time to keep watching

That patience works quite nicely for Chelsea. There’s interest from the Blues, but a summer deal isn’t currently the plan.

January is a more realistic possibility, giving them several more months to see how Pacheco develops and whether his role under manager Abel Ferreira grows.

Paris Saint-Germain have watched him too, sending a scout to Brazil earlier this year, so the attention from Chelsea isn’t happening in isolation.

For now, though, Pacheco is talking much more about earning minutes than making a transfer. And that same approach comes across when discussing his ambitions with Brazil.

He’s regularly been involved with the country’s youth teams and doesn’t hide that the senior side is an eventual target.

“Of course, wearing the senior national team shirt is a dream,” he said. “But I know there’s a path to get there and I try not to skip stages. My focus is to keep working and developing at Palmeiras.”

“If that opportunity comes one day, I’ll be very happy and ready to take it.”

Pacheco has a contract until 2028, with a €100m (£86.5m) release clause for foreign clubs.

Chelsea therefore have a player happy to take his time, while they’re doing much the same from the scouting side. The next few months should give them a clearer picture before January arrives.

Period: 6 October 2016 to 6 October 2026. Includes academy signings.
Source: Chelsea FC and the Premier League.