£26m attacking midfielder is now close to joining Crystal Palace

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The latest reports suggest that Crystal Palace are very close to signing Brazilian wonderkid Matheus Franca this transfer window.

According to Tocedores, one of the co-owners at Crystal Palace, John Textor, has offered around £26million for the 19-year-old.

Negotiations are apparently still ongoing but it is believed that the offer for Franca was good enough and could mean the deal is fully agreed if other details are all ok.

Flamengo still want to add some clauses to the agreement to make sure that they are financially funded in the long-term.

Crystal Palace close to signing Franca

Reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano spoke very highly of Matheus Franca. The journalist said that the player is one to ‘keep an eye on‘ and is also one of his ‘favourite talents‘.

The 19 year-old attacking midfielder looks like a very exciting prospect. He is clearly highly-rated as Palace want to sign him and spend a lot on him. He has also been linked to fellow Premier League side Chelsea.

What is also great about the player is that he is very versatile. He has also played on the wing and as a second striker for Flamengo.

In his 54 senior appearances, the young attacker has picked up nine goals. This is not bad at all for a player of his age and shows that he has potential to be prolific.

Of course Palace will want a player who can immediately be a good star for the club. Despite this, they may be signing Franca more as a future investment.

There is no doubt that he has quality to succeed in the Premier League but the club may slowly integrate him into the squad due to his age. He will have a lot of learning to do to adapt to the Premier League.