Chelsea will add another Brazilian to their ranks in 2026 after agreeing a deal for Denner Evangelista, it has been claimed.
The Blues have recruited regularly from Brazil in recent seasons, with wonderkid Estevao Willian due to join in the summer. Deivid Washington and Andrey Santos are currently out on loan, while Angelo Gabriel left for Al-Nassr in September.
Denner, a left-back, is expected to join next year after he turns 18. The teenager is a cousin of Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, and has been capped by Brazil at age group level.
He is currently on the books of Corinthians, who have a Chelsea connection of their own. Former Blues winger Willian, now at Fulham, began his own playing career with the Sao Paulo club.
According to The Standard, Denner will join Chelsea for £11.5million including add-ons. The same outlet cited claims in Brazilian media that the Sao Paulo side will also include a 15 percent sell-on clause.
Denner is understood to have impressed Chelsea - and other clubs - with his performances in the Copinha. Corinthians hold the record for the most wins in the competition, which is played between Under-20 sides in the Sao Paulo region, and their teenage left-back scored as they lost the 2025 final to Sao Paulo.
A number of top talents have impressed in the tournament before earning moves to Europe. Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus and Manchester United winger have both been named player of the tournament in recent years, as has Real Madrid starlet Endrick.
While Chelsea face a long wait for Denner, his compatriot Estevao Willian will join much sooner. The Palmeiras forward has scored five goals in 11 Campeonato Paulista outings this term, and found the net 13 times in Brazil's Serie A in 2024.
He made his senior debut for the Brazilian national team in September, playing three further games in World Cup qualifying. Dorival Junior's team sit in fifth place in the South American standings after 12 games, with the top six teams qualifying automatically for the finals in North America in 2026.
Speaking to The Guardian in October, the young forward opened up about a message he had received from one of his future team-mates. "When I signed for Chelsea, the next day, I scored a goal and celebrated like [Cole] Palmer," he said.
"His celebration was a trend, very popular. We talked on social media, I tagged him on Instagram, he called me a star, I said he’s a star too. He said we’re going to do a lot of great things together for Chelsea."
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