Chelsea's ownership group are turning their attention to another rising South American talent, with BlueCo now monitoring Santos youngster Bontempo as they consider repeating a recruitment strategy that has become familiar within the group, according to RTI Esporte.
The Brazilian outlet reports that the 21-year-old has joined BlueCo's list of closely tracked prospects, though Santos are yet to receive a formal offer. The Premier League club's owners are said to believe Bontempo fits the profile they have targeted repeatedly since taking control at Stamford Bridge, with interest from Bayern Munich also emerging in recent weeks, suggesting some of Europe's biggest clubs are beginning to circle one of Santos' most highly-rated academy graduates.
Rather than bringing Bontempo directly into Chelsea's first-team squad, BlueCo's preferred route would mirror the pathway used with Andrey Santos, who initially struggled for opportunities in England before developing through a loan spell elsewhere.
The group has also invested heavily in South American prospects such as Kendry Paez with similarly long-term planning in mind. According to RTI Esporte, the current idea would see Bontempo move first to RC Strasbourg, allowing him to adapt to European football before any potential switch to Chelsea, a model that has become an increasingly important part of BlueCo's recruitment approach for teenagers arriving from South America.
Santos, though, find themselves in a comfortable negotiating position after Bontempo recently renewed his contract with the club until December 2028. His release clause is set at €100m, though clauses of that size are rarely paid in full and instead serve mainly as leverage during negotiations.
The attacking midfielder is capable of playing centrally, in wider attacking positions or slightly deeper in midfield, with his versatility, passing range, composure in possession and tactical intelligence all considered among his biggest selling points.
Chelsea's interest fits a broader pattern of BlueCo activity across Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador in recent seasons, with the group having already brought in highly-rated young prospects from the region as part of a long-term recruitment strategy built around identifying talent early and developing it through the wider club network before any move to Stamford Bridge itself. Whether that same model will be applied to Bontempo remains to be seen, though the early stages of interest suggest the Brazilian is now firmly on BlueCo's radar this summer.