Thursday 14 May 2015 17:20, UK
Chelsea have signed 19-year-old Nathan from Brazil's Serie A.
The highly-rated midfielder broke through the ranks at Atletico Paranaense just under a year ago, but soon made waves in South America...
What’s the story?
Nathan turned 19 last month, and on Thursday completed his move to Chelsea.
The youngster, full name Nathan Allan de Souza, is said to have fallen out with his Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense after a contract dispute, allowing Chelsea to dive in and beat off competition from Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
What is his experience?
Nathan has represented Brazil at U17 and U20 levels, and starred in the U17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates, where he scored five goals and was included in the tournament’s best XI.
He worked his way up through the Atletico Paranaense ranks, making his debut for the first team in May 2014, impressing as the Curitiba side finished eighth in Serie A.
He played 11 times for his boyhood club last season, starting three times, but represented Atletico another seven times in the Paranaense 1 tournament, scoring once.
What sort of player is he?
Nathan’s most natural position is in an attacking midfield role, but he has also been deployed as a second striker for both Brazil U20 and Atletico Paranaense.
He is direct-thinking, strong with both feet but primarily right-footed, and is seen more as a provider than a goalscorer.
His international partnership with former Paranaense team-mate Thiago Mosquito was likened to the great Brazilian double-act of Romario and Bebeto.
Right-hand man Thiago told the FIFA website in 2013: "One day we might be like Bebeto and Romario or Ganso and Neymar, but right now our only job is to develop and grow because we are still young."
How will he fit in?
The decision to join Chelsea makes perfect sense for the youngster, given they already have several Brazilian-born players on their books in Filipe Luis, Ramires, Willian, Diego Costa, Oscar, Lucas Piazon and Wallace.
On the flip side, Chelsea’s use of younger players has come under scrutiny in recent years, the Blues only giving a total of 13 first-team appearances to players under 20 years old over the last two seasons.
However, reports in Brazil have suggested Nathan is already highly developed as a player, and will be given a full pre-season to fit in at Stamford Bridge.
