Nathan to Chelsea: Key Details You Need to Know About Blues' New Signing

Chelsea officially announced the signing of 19-year-old Brazilian Nathan Allan de Souza on Thursday, taking advantage of a contract impasse between the midfielder and previous club Atletico Paranaense to bring the youngster into the club.   

The Blues announced the news via Twitter:

Nathan told the club's Twitter account he is thrilled to move to west London:

As reported by Sky Sports, the Brazil youth international was in London on April 15 to complete a medical, catching just about every fan and media outlet by surprise:

New signings are always exciting, and before long, newspapers were referring to Nathan as the new Brazilian wunderkind—or variations thereof. The Sun Football and most fans had another reaction:

So, who is Nathan? The attacking midfielder, who can also play out wide or as a second striker, shot to fame during the 2013 U17 World Cup, scoring five goals in just five matches for Brazil. His incredible pace and instincts were on full display immediately:

He's surprisingly well built for a 19-year-old, and while he lacks the size to play as a lone striker for the Blues, he's certainly big enough to slot into any other attacking position in the formation.

Atletico Paranaense promoted him to the senior squad in 2014, but after a difficult start to life in the top division and a contract dispute, he was relegated back to the U23 side, per the Daily Mail's Adam Shergold.

Talent most certainly isn't an issue for Nathan—his pace and overall athleticism speak for themselves, and the way he dominated at the U17 World Cup and throughout his youth career should have fans salivating over his potential.

As for his ability to actually kick a ball, well, see for yourself:

Some reservations are in order, though. Of his five goals at the 2013 World Cup, four came in two matches—against Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates—and he failed to guide the team past the quarter-finals.

He has never completed a 90-minute match for Paranaense, per Shergold, and he never scored a goal for the senior side. Chelsea are banking on the potential he flashed back in 2013 to justify his price tag, which, according to Shergold, sits at £4.5 million. The Blues have yet to confirm the fee.

As explained by Shergold, the main reason for the reportedly hefty transfer fee was the contract dispute between the player and his former club, including an option to extend his deal for two more years and plenty of time spent in courtrooms.

With his speed and tendency to play far up the pitch, Nathan will remind some of a young Kaka, with more pace but less instinctive passing ability. He's a natural finisher and a nightmare to defend when he's fully focused, but concentration can be an issue.

Unlike Lucas Piazon, another young Brazilian star currently on Chelsea's books, obtaining a work permit could be tricky, per ESPN.com's Jake Cohen:

Nathan is nowhere near ready for the Premier League, and a loan move to a smaller club—think Vitesse Arnhem—seems like the logical next step in his career.

Fans of rival clubs will point to the example of Piazon, who doesn't look like he will ever make a serious impact for the Blues, as a reason to doubt the success of this transfer. Nathan deserves the benefit of the doubt, and his first season in Europe will show us whether the potential he flashed back in 2013 is indicative of his real talent.

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