Another new era at Chelsea is now firmly up and running following the official unveiling of Mauricio Pochettino at the weekend and the arrival of another new player.
With Nicolas Jackson joining Christopher Nkunku in making a move to Stamford Bridge, the Blues could be about to land another talented attacking player in Flamengo teenager Matheus Franca.
Will Chelsea sign Matheus Franca?
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are looking to sign Franca this summer as part of a £25m deal with Brazilian heavyweights Flamengo.
The 19-year-old is no stranger to being linked with big-name clubs, having previously been touted as a target for La Liga's big two Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also said to have shown an interest in Franca, but Chelsea could get there ahead of their Premier League rivals.
Who is Chelsea target Matheus Franca?
Franca is a versatile attacker who can play across the forward line and in central attacking midfield, which is where most of his appearances have come this season, as per WhoScored.
Chelsea are not exactly short of attacking midfielders, though that is likely to change as Mason Mount is on the verge of joining Manchester United, while Christian Pulisic is unlikely to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Mykhailo Mudryk looked set to capitalise on those exits, having struggled for any sort of rhythm since arriving in an £88.5m deal in January, but Franca's mooted arrival could spell further bad news for the Ukraine international.
Like Franca, Mudryk also operated in a number of positions last season, including central attacking midfield. Chelsea will want to get their money's worth from Mudryk, but Pochettino will not be afraid to bench the 22-year-old in favour of Franca should the Brazilian be better suited to his system.
There are similarities between the two players, as you would expect given they take up similar positions, but it could be argued that Franca is showing even more potential than Mudryk did prior to his Chelsea switch.
Taking Mudryk's figures from his final season with Shakhtar Donetsk, which ultimately paved the way for his move to Stamford Bridge, he scored 0.22 goals per 90 minutes, which compares to 0.64 for Franca at Flamengo in the 2022 season.
Franca also had a better pass-completion percentage across those respective seasons (75.1 v 70.5), as per FBref, and also played more passes that led to a shot attempt (2.56 v 2.50), which highlights his ability to link play high up the pitch.
Interestingly, the Brazil U20 international also ranked higher for tackles (2.05 v 1) and ball recoveries (3.59 v 3), showing he is also able to get stuck in if required.
More than that, though, it is his ability to find space at such a young age that has most caught the eye. "He has a very good understanding of the game, Flamengo U20s coach Fabio Matias told GloboEsporte, via Goal. "He also has the ability to be decisive in front of goal and is a great finisher."
That sounds like the player Chelsea were signing in Mudryk. While that could still be the case, it may well be that Pochettino turns to a different talented attacking midfielder in his first season at Stamford Bridge.