Chelsea FC’s recent spending spree seems to have hit a roadblock with the pursuit of Sporting Lisbon starlet Eduardo Quaresma.
The Portuguese youngster has been eyed by several top sides; however, Frank Lampard is known to be keen on signing the player. AC Milan and their arch-rivals Inter too have been interested in signing the young centre-back from Lisbon.
The highly-rated defender, who is just 18 years old, has signed a new long-term contract with Sporting CP.
Quaresma’s new contract will run a length of a further five years at the Portuguese side. Such a scenario would prevent the Blues from signing the youngster at a cheap price.
Quaresma has come through the ranks of Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy and has proven his talent on the big stage. The 18-year old has also made a few appearances in the top-flight league for his side. Moreover, the player is a key part of Sporting Lisbon’s U-23 team.
The promising centre-back has so far been capped five times by the Portugal U-19 national team. Quaresma is touted for a very bright future as a commanding defender with impressive tackling ability. The player has also operated as a defensive midfielder on a few occasions for his side.
The new five-year contract signed by Quaresma at Lisbon would result in a release clause of €45m being included in the player’s deal. The stipulated amount would be considered rather hefty by sides willing to sign the 18-year old defender.
Considered to be one of the brightest talents playing in Portugal, Quaresma would hope to develop further as a player for Sporting Lisbon. The player is a part of the 100 nominees for the 2020 Golden Boy. The impressive lineup of players in the list includes Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland.
Blues manager Frank Lampard will be unhappy on hearing about Quaresma’s contract extension. The new Chelsea FC manager has been on a rampant drive to acquire new young talents for his side in recent weeks.
