Chelsea are hoping to use their Jorge Mendes connections to land Benfica sensation Diego Moreira next summer.
Mirror Football reports the Blues have taken a keen interest in the 18-year-old after failing to land Real Madrid-bound Endrick from Palmeiras. Todd Boehly is aiming to continue bringing in some of the hottest talents from around Europe to Stamford Bridge.
But just who is the highly-rated youngster? Here is all you need to know about the Benfica ace, including where he's from, his career so far and what’s been said about him as Chelsea aim to land him on a deal next year.
Who is Diego Moreira?
Moreira is a left-footed winger who plays for Primeira Liga outfit Benfica and is part of the Portugal youth set-up.
Born on August 6, 2004 in the Belgian city of Liege - where his father, former Guinea-Bissau international Almami Moreira, plied his trade for five seasons - the 18-year-old began his youth career with Standard Liege before signing for Benfica and putting pen-to-paper on his first professional contract in August 2020.
On the international stage, Moreira made two appearances for Belgium Under-15 in 2019 before switching allegiances to Portugal and playing 12 times for their U16s in the same year. Since 2021, he has been a Portugal U18 international, scoring once in eight games.
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Career so far
Moreira made his debut for Benfica Under-23 during the 2020/21 campaign before earning a call-up to Benfica’s B team the following season and helping the U19s win their first ever UEFA Youth League title with four goals and five assists in 10 games. As a result, they went on to win the 2022 Under-20 Intercontinental Cup in August.
Back in May, Moreira was promoted to Benfica’s first team and made his debut in their 2-0 league victory over Pacos Ferreira. He earned his Champions League appearance in a qualifying tie against Midtjylland in August. He has three goals and four assists for the B team this season.
He scored his first goal for Portugal U18 in a 6-3 friendly win against Switzerland in September 2021 and netted in a 4-0 victory over Armenia in a UEFA Euro U19 Championship qualifier in March this year.
What’s been said about him?
Moreira Jr, as he is also known, has been likened to former Portugal and Manchester United winger Nani due to his style of play and ability to operate on either wing, along with his frightening pace.
Back in October, Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb described the 18-year-old as a ‘very offensive player’ who is ‘able to swerve at supersonic speed and create superiority with great ease thanks to his technical skills’.
The same publication have also quoted Sportitalia, who revealed that AC Milan are also keen on Moreira and have made contact over a potential move. Moreira’s contract with Benfica runs until 2024 and he is represented by super-agent Mendes. The Portuguese giants could be tempted to cash in on one of their star assets as the likes of Milan and Chelsea begin to circle.
