Chelsea to bolster already talented squad with two more teenage proteges

The club want Benfica’s Markovic and Inter’s Delgado.

Since UEFA introduced the Financial Fair Play ruling big-spending clubs such as Chelsea have had to find ways round the new rule.

The west London side have devised a policy of buying up some of the best young talent in Europe when they are teenagers and then loaning out the starlets until they are ready for first team football.


Recent examples of this include Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Tomas Kalas.
Now the Blues have found two more teenage targets, with Benfica’s Lazar Markovic and Pedro Delgado of Inter Milan the latest proteges on their wish list, reports the Metro.

Delgado is a 16-year-old attacking midfielder who only arrived at the San Siro in the summer, but scouts of Jose Mourinho have suggested the manager should take a closer look.

Markovic meanwhile is much more of an established star, having also made a move this summer when joining Benfica from Partizan Belgrade for £8m.

The 19-year-old has made 10 appearances in all competitions – including three in the Champions League – and has scored three goals and provided one assist.

The Serbia international generally operates on the left side of midfield, but can play more offensively and has even been known to act as a striker.

Yet with Mourinho already having six attacking midfielders at the 50-year-old’s disposal, as well as Victor Moses out on-loan at Liverpool currently, many would question whether the Portuguese coach needs to strengthen in this area.

Whilst Delgado would probably be loaned out for a couple of years, perhaps to the side’s feeder club Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie, Markovic would not be happy being a bench-warmer or dropping down to a team not playing European football.