Who is Gabriel Mec? Strengths, weaknesses and everything you need to know about the Chelsea target

Chelsea’s pursuit of future football stars continues to rage on in South America.

Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian have already signed, with Aaron Anselmino set to follow suit, and next up looks to be Gremio winger Gabriel Mec, the 16-year-old who is close to securing a £20m move to Stamford Bridge.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Mec.

Mec joined Gremio at the age of nine and quickly made an impact playing above his age group. The young player has been playing regularly in the Under 17 team and even played in the Under 20 team at the beginning of 2024.

A deal was struck with NR Sports, Neymar’s father’s agency, when Mec was just 14 years old, and 12 months later, they followed in the player’s footsteps at Al Hilal under a photo endorsement and sponsorship deal with Gremio. they had the freedom to capitalize on his image – the belief that Mec’s name might be worth more than his club could handle. Such a deal is rare in Brazilian football and made headlines when Neymar’s camp shook hands with Santos after his success.

When he turned 16 in April 2024, Gremio was trying to tie MEC to his first contract, which he would sign when he turned 18. The club wanted to give him the biggest release clause in their history at 1bn reais (£136.8m). ), but a desire from Mec’s agents to keep the release clause below £100m led to negotiations.

Reports suggest that the setback actually saw Mec’s name withdrawn from the 2024 Sao Paulo Junior Football Cup, with Gremio concerned about giving their star of the future more time to shine without a formal contract agreement.

When it comes to Gremio’s academy, comparisons with Ronaldinho are never far away, but it’s almost hard not to draw parallels between the two due to the Mec’s incredible playing skills.

Mec’s ability to control the ball when he flies forward at high speed has surprised those who watched him, as local broadcaster Celeni Viana insists that he has never seen anyone in Brazilian football come close to imitating Ronaldinho’s ability to play.

Not only is Mec a powerful runner with the ball at his feet, but he is also young and likes to add some flair to his game. He doesn’t shy away from one-on-one combat and reports from his hometown of Rio de Janeiro even claim that the nickname Mec – which means ‘calm’ in Rio – was given to him because of his composure when it comes to beating a defender.

Many of Mec’s concerns can be attributed to his age and lack of experience.

Some scouts have expressed concern about his desire to try to do more in football – a result of his high confidence – while others have highlighted that he is still growing in his body.

Mec is a lanky midfielder and has work to do physically before heading home to senior football, but Gremio have long had him on a development program and have privately expressed confidence that his frame will soon be useful.

Mec may be regularly compared to Ronaldinho, but it is the young Neymar he cites as his biggest inspiration in football.

Neymar Sr. has been watching Mec for the past few years and helped facilitate a meeting between the youth and his idol to help encourage Mec to reach his full potential.

Gremio’s desire to try to keep Mec’s progress under wraps was largely successful for several years, but reports from Brazil soon claimed that Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were holding their breath over his youth-level performances.

Once Chelsea’s willingness to make a deal became known, Gremio could no longer hide.

“If people from abroad are watching, this kid has a future,” Gremio manager Renato Gaucho told the media.

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP