Chelsea have signed Brazilian midfielder Nathan from Atletico Paranaense for a fee of around £4.5million.
The 19-year-old will move to Stamford Bridge on July 1.
Nathan bolsters the ranks of Brazilians at Chelsea, joining Ramires, Willian, Oscar and Filipe Luis. The Blues also have young Brazilians Wallace and Lucas Piazon out on loan.
Nathan said on chelseafc.com: ‘I am very happy to be joining Chelsea, the champions of England, and I hope I will be able to learn a lot and develop my game.’
The Brazilian’s full name is Nathan Allan de Souza. He has impressed while representing Brazil at under-17 and under-20 level and scored five goals in five games at the Under 17 World Cup in 2013.
Nathan announced the deal on Monday on his Instagram page.
He wrote: ‘A dream is coming true! Thank you Chelsea for trusting in me, I will do my best to support my team on reaching new achievements.’
Nathan has been seen as the next big thing in South American football, and Manchester City were also interested in his signature.
Last season’s Barclays Premier League champions had hoped to tie up a deal after first spotting the player at the Under 17 Championships two years ago.
Nathan has since broken into the Atletico Paranaense team but a serious contract dispute with the Brazilian outfit meant Chelsea were able to swoop.
