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Chelsea are close to signing 18-year-old defender Xavier Mbuyamba, according to the Daily Mail. The Dutchman, who is dubbed the new Virgil van Dijk and signed for Barcelona last season, has now been released by the Catalan giants.
Chelsea are the front runners for the signature of the centre-back with Mbuyamba's agent Carlos Barros testifying to the interest in the teenager from the London club.
"Almost all major clubs in Europe have asked about Xavier. Real Madrid are also there, they are serious about their youth system, but that would of course be a sensitive switch", Barros said.
Barros further said that the young Dutch player has also received interest from other big clubs across Europe, but Chelsea appears to be his most likely destination.
"Juventus and Inter are interested, as are top clubs from Germany and England. Chelsea have the best papers. Of course we discussed this extensively last year", Barros continued.
"Chelsea gave a fantastic presentation. There is a unique football atmosphere there. You immediately sit with the first-team players during lunch, and the club has outlined a very ambitious plan for Xavier. They really think that in one to two years, he can be in the first team. Frank Lampard has of course already proven that he is not afraid to play with young players. Being in the starting line-up at Chelsea at the age of 20 would, of course, be great", Barros concluded.
Chelsea close to signing the 'next Virgil Van Dijk'
Xavier Mbuyamba is considered one of the top talents in his age group, but failed to make the impression at Barcelona. The youngster made three appearances for the Blaugrana in the UEFA Youth League this season.
Mbuyamba, who had previously trained with Chelsea, couldn't sign with the Blues last season due to the club's transfer ban.
Former striker and now Academy director of Barcelona snapped up the youngster for the Barcelona U19s from Dutch second division side MVV Maastricht for whom he made his debut at the age of 16.
However, Mbuyamba struggled to transition into the Barcelona B setup from the U19s, thus making the young Dutchman look at opportunities elsewhere.
Chelsea are known for having promising youngsters in their youth setup. The London side has a great record in the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup in recent times. Manager Frank Lampard has paved the way for these youngsters to impress with the first team; the likes of Reece James, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori were given numerous opportunities in the Premier League this season.
