The unexpected career journey of Brazilian teenager Ângelo Gabriel took another twist as he completed a move to Saudi club Al Nassr for a reported $25 million on Tuesday, just a year after joining Chelsea from Santos.
Despite his $17 million transfer to Chelsea, Gabriel never made an appearance for the English club, as he was immediately loaned out to Strasbourg, one of the teams owned by Chelsea’s American investors.
The 19-year-old was part of Chelsea’s squad for their preseason tour in the United States, but has now made a permanent switch to Al Nassr, where he will play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
The transfer, announced just a day after the Saudi transfer window closed, will assist Chelsea in complying with financial regulations in the Premier League and UEFA competitions.
Another Brazilian teenager, Deivid Washington, who also joined Chelsea from Santos last year around the same time as Gabriel, nearly made a permanent move to Strasbourg. However, sources told ESPN that Chelsea canceled the deal due to concerns over whether it would comply with competition rules.
In a statement, Chelsea said, “We wish Angelo the very best as he begins the next chapter in his career and thank him for his efforts during his time with Chelsea.”
Gabriel made history as the youngest player to debut in Brazil’s national championship, stepping onto the field for Santos at just 15 years and 308 days old.
