Chelsea have secured a contract agreement with 17-year-old Brazilian prodigy Pedro Lima, outpacing Real Madrid in the race to sign the promising full-back from Sport Recife.
Real Madrid had eyed Lima as a potential long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal.
Chelsea are now in the final stages of completing Lima’s deal.
Lima is expected to join French Ligue 1 club Strasbourg on loan, once he officially signed for Chelsea.
Strasbourg is partly owned by the consortium led by Chelsea’s Todd Boehly.
Renato Guimarães, Lima’s manager, confirmed to Globo Esporte that his client has agreed on a salary package with Chelsea, although some deal details are still being finalised.
The transfer fee is reported to be £6.7 million.
“There has been progress in negotiations, but it has not yet closed,” Guimarães stated.