The £52m red flag Chelsea are 'willing' to take a gamble on this January

If there is one man who almost certainly spends the entirety of his festive period eagerly counting down to the moment that the Boxing Day sales begin, it is Todd Boehly. The Chelsea owner likes to spend money on needless hunks of bric-a-brac with a near-obsessive panache, and as the mince pie haze dissipates and the January transfer window slowly shifts into focus, you can just imagine the extravagant Yank limbering up like a suburban dad on the start line of a Tough Mudder.

All of the evidence, from their woefully inconsistent form to their recent transfer activity, would suggest that Chelsea will likely spend money in the new year. A new striker seems to be an acquisition of considerable priority, although there are strong arguments to be made for reinforcements throughout Mauricio Pochettino's squad.

But still, in what is now becoming something of a time-honoured tradition, it would appear that Boehly and his blank chequebook will also reserve some of their attention for signings who, in the immediate future at least, will make very little impact on the first team picture at Stamford Bridge whatsoever. Take, for instance, Estevão Willian. The 16-year-old winger is currently on the books at Palmeiras, where he is described as a 'great pearl' of their academy system. In fact, the starlet has made such an impression in Brazil that he is reportedly being monitored by a number of European heavyweights, with Chelsea set to face competition for his signature from the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain.

Such fierce rivalry is unlikely to deter the Blues, however, and Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo have provided an intriguing update on his situation moving forward. It is understood that Willian initially had his heart set on a transfer to La Liga, and in particular, Barcelona. The Catalan giants are still in the midst of navigating a series of lingering financial pressures, however, and as a consequence, may not be able to firm up their interest in the coming weeks. With Palmeiras seemingly keen to cash in on their precocious winger sooner rather than later, that could allow Chelsea to swoop in with a tempting bid of their own.

You see, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Blues are 'willing to pay' the £52 million release clause written into Willian's contract, and are 'exerting' the necessary force to make a deal happen. For their part, it is claimed that Palmeiras 'want to close' his sale as soon as they can.

Not that Chelsea would be able to benefit from the fruits of their splurge immediately. It is understood that even if a deal is struck for Willian, the teenager will not move to Europe until he turns 18 in April 2025. Presumably, between now and then, he will remain on loan in South America, building on the 12 minutes of senior football he currently has to his name.

Now, you might consider all of the above - the price tag, the lack of experience, the need to wait almost a year-and-a-half before Willian can so much as lace up a boot for his new European club - and suggest that there are a few too many red flags for this to be the kind of deal that Chelsea should be pursuing right now. You might also be right.

But at the end of the day, Todd Boehly does not think about transfers like you or I do, and when all is said and done, he is the man with the keys to Stamford Bridge and an apparently bottomless pit of money at his disposal. Don't be surprised if Chelsea push ahead with this one.