Brazilian youngster Nathan dropped another big hint he’s on the verge of joining Chelsea, but according to the latest reports from Brazilian media, certain complications are standing in the way of the long-awaited transfer.

The 19-year-old has been in London for quite some time now, working on completing a £4.7 million move to the Blues, as reported by Metro‘s George Bellshaw.

He confirmed he’s still in London on Saturday, taking to Twitter to inform the fans he would be attending Sunday’s match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium:

The transfer seems done and dusted, but according to the latest news coming from Brazil, there are some serious complications.

Brazilian football insider Zizouology tried to explain the situation, which involves Portuguese club FC Porto and potential tampering charges:

Brazilian newspaper Gazeta Do Povo (h/t Sport Witness) provided more details:

Nathan can be a Chelsea player if the club force it. As part of Nathan’s release from Atletico Paranaense, Chelsea put their contract offer up in a Brazilian court. … Chelsea’s offer was approved by the court, validated. Gazeta Do Povo say that’s legally binding and Chelsea could force the move through, they have a completed transfer and have legally agreed the deal to sign him. 

The problem comes from Doyen Sports and Porto, who have put together a better offer for Atletico. Doyen still have outstanding payments on deals which may not help but Porto, funded by Doyen, are apparently trying to hijack the player and their plan could very well work.

Gazeta Do Povo explain that’s because Chelsea don’t have the stomach to enforce the legal contract they have for the purchase of Nathan, because they fear Atletico could in turn report them to FIFA for tapping the youngster up and therefore open the door for transfer sanctions.

Whether the youngster is worth all the trouble is debatable. Most of the excitement surrounding his signing comes from his five-goal performance at the 2013 U17 World Cup, where he put together an incredible highlight reel:

The bulk of those highlights came from two matches―Slovenia and United Arab Emirates―and the attacking midfielder was held relatively quiet for the rest of the tournament. Since then, he’s yet to complete a single 90-minute match for Atletico Paranaense‘s senior side or, in fact, score a single goal.

The reported fee of £4.7 million is quite steep for a player who has flashed potential but little production so far in his young career, but the Blues can afford to take a gamble. Transfer sanctions are a different matter, however, and likely the reason why we’ve yet to hear an official announcement of his signature.

 

Inter Milan Rule Out Mauro Icardi Sale

Inter Milan and Mauro Icardi have been doing everything possible to play down a potential split during the summer, with strong rumours linking the Argentinian with Chelsea.

Pundits like ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney all but assume the striker will be with the Blues next season after a lengthy transfer saga:

But according to club president Erick Thohir, the 22-year-old is not for sale. Thohir told Corriere della Sera the club is working hard on a new contract for Icardi, as reported by the Daily Star‘s Chisanga Malata:

We won’t sell Icardi, he’s one of our most important players.

Often money can cause problems, but not for him as he has his head firmly on his shoulders.

We are working towards an agreement for a contract renewal, it’s important that he stays with us.

As shared by David Amoyal of Gianlucadimarzio.com, the player himself echoed a similar sentiment after yet another excellent performance against AS Roma on Saturday:

Icardi has been one of the few shining lights in what has been another disappointing season for Inter, who are currently ninth in the Serie A standings, five points behind Sampdoria for the final Europa League ticket.

The Nerazzurri have been dependent on Icardi‘s scoring, which explains why they’re so desperate to keep ahold of him heading into next season, via WhoScored.com:

Icardi continues to indicate he’s more than happy in Milan, but given Inter’s continued struggles, it’s easy to see why plenty of newspapers predict a split between club and player during the summer. Icardi is too good not to be playing in Europe next season, and a club like Chelsea will be willing to pay top dollar in order to bring him to London.

A transfer still seems unlikely, however. Inter have a number of young pieces to build around and are slowly working their way back to relevance. They need a star scorer like Icardi to lead the squad moving forward, and Thohir will likely reward the Argentinian handsomely for his loyalty.

Combined with the fact Chelsea can’t promise Icardi a starting position, with Diego Costa slotted in firmly as the choice striker, and it’s difficult to see the prolific forward leaving the Nerazzurri for the Blues anytime soon.

 

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