Chelsea are now not too far away from finally landing Maurizio Sarri, as their new manager, replacing Antonio Conte, who failed to take the club to a place in the Champions League next season. The Blues are yet to make his move official but have already been busy, scouting for players who can improve their squad this summer.
They are being linked with a number of star players from across Europe but one player they are now a step closer to landing is Gelson Martins.
Born and brought up in Cape Verde, the 23-year old joined Portuguese giants SL Benfica as a youth player back in 2010. He took five years to break into their senior side but ever since his debut in 2015, he has a been a regular in the first team at Lisbon.
He also made his international debut in 2016 and already has 19 appearances to his name for his country. However, he was underutilised in the Portuguese squad that travelled to Russia for the World Cup. He did register impressive numbers, scoring 11 goals and picking up nine assists in all competitions last season for the Leões.
A versatile attacker, who can play as a winger, or as an attacking midfielder through the middle, Martins is a gifted footballer with a temperament usually found in winners. He is strong and athletic, can hold on to the ball in dangerous areas and is adept at dribbling past opponents from tight spaces.
He is constantly searching for empty spaces in the final third, picking up positions that allow him to take the attack to the opposition. At just 23, Martins has shown great promise already in his career and could be a super addition to the squad at Stamford Bridge.
He has four years left on his current deal but the altercation with the Sporting fans at the end of the previous season has seen him join a long list of players who have decided to terminate their contract with Sporting.
Martins is also wanted by Arsenal, who had a £26m bid rejected in the past. However, he is now a free agent and is being linked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool as well. Chelsea remains hot on his heels and have now been given a boost after the player’s agent revealed that he is certain to quit Sporting this summer.
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On a free transfer, Martins is an absolute steal and there will be more clubs showing interest in acquiring his services. Sarri and his system can get the best out of a player like Martins, so making this move is a necessity for the Blues.
