Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of Lulinha, the latest wonder-kid of Brazilian football, by sending two scouts to watch the 17-year-old play on Wednesday evening. It is now hoped by the Premier League club that an £8m deal to sign the precocious striker may be agreed in time for the January transfer window.
The scouts were sent to Rio Janeiro at the behest of Frank Arnesen, Chelsea's chief scout and director of youth development, who is determined to sign Lulinha having missed out on another Brazilian prodigy, Alexandre Pato, last summer despite offering more than £13m for the teenager who later joined Milan.
Lulinha currently plays for the Brazilian club Corinthians and the scouts watched him in the 2-1 away defeat to Flamengo. Despite the loss, which leaves the famous old club near the bottom of the league table, Lulinha caught the eye by setting up his team's goal with a solo run.
The youngster, who does not turn 18 until April, can play as an attacking midfielder or as a "second striker" and has been dubbed the "new Ronaldinho" in South America because of his flamboyant playing style. He is regarded as a player in the classic mould of a "Brazilian Number 10" and is also a prolific goal-scorer – having struck 12 goals in just seven matches earlier this year as Brazil won the South American Under-17 Championships.
He has long been compared to Ronaldinho, having shone in a series of under-age tournaments for club and country – with 27 goals in 15 matches for the Corinthians under-17 team. His potential has already attracted a long-term, lucrative deal with Nike.
