Chelsea have been keeping close tabs on Monza striker Gustavo Varela, according to reports in Germany.

Fussball-news.de claim that both the Blues and Arsenal have sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old “several times” this season, while the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Tottenham, Newcastle, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham are also tracking his progress.

The amount of interest in Varela is not surprising, with the forward having found the back of the net 11 times in just 10 appearances.

So what do Chelsea fans need to know about the player? Press the next page to find out more about the transfer target…

1) Varela spent most of his early career in Greece

The striker came through Sporting Lisbon’s academy, but PAOK Thessaloniki snapped him up on a free transfer in the summer of 2016.

Varela spent the next six years in Greece, although he didn’t make his senior debut, making all of his appearances for PAOK at youth level up until the Under-19s.

The Portuguese did catch the eye of Benfica with his performances, and he eventually returned to his homeland in 2022.

Due to his contract situation, PAOK only received around €100,000 in training compensation.

2) His breakthrough at Benfica

After impressing at the Under-19 and Under-23 level, Varela was promoted to the Portuguese giant’s B team just over a year after his arrival.

The striker became part of the setup in November 2023, but he only scored 3 times during his first season in Portugal’s second tier.

It was a different story during the 2024/25 campaign, as he bagged 11 in 34 appearances, including a brace on the final day against Porto B.

Benfica finished fourth in the table, which is the joint-highest position that the B team has ever achieved.

3) Varela’s loan spell at Gil Vicente

The Portuguese youth international only played one game for Benfica’s first team. That came against Rio Ave in May 2024 when he came on for the last 15 minutes of a 1-1 draw.

After spending an extended spell with the B team in Liga Portugal 2, it was decided that Varela needed more experience of top-level football, so he was loaned out to Gil Vicente.

It proved to be the right decision for the player, who scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists in 33 appearances during the 2025/26 campaign.

Varela helped Gil Vicente finish 6th in the table, and it led to Monza taking a keen interest in him.

4) He’s had a lightning-quick start at Monza

The Italian minnows returned to the top flight after being promoted from Serie B at the end of last season, and they were keen to strengthen their squad for the new campaign.

Varela had shown some potential during his loan spell at Gil Vicente, and they paid his parent club, Benfica, €2.5m to take him to Italy.

Nobody could predict how quickly he would take to his new surroundings. After scoring a brace on his debut against Avellino in the Coppa Italia, he hasn’t stopped scoring.

Varela played key roles in both of Monza’s league victories so far this season, scoring both goals during a 2-1 victory against Sassuolo, and bagging another two, as well as providing an assist, during a 4-0 win over Cagliari.

5) Varela’s price tag has been set

Fussball-news.de claim that Monza will demand €20m (£16.7m) from suitors, which is 8 times what they paid for the player back in July.

One of the main reasons for Varela’s asking price is that his previous team, Benfica, holds a 20% sell-on clause.

Of course, Monza’s valuation isn’t particularly high for a club like Chelsea, but it would still be a gamble, to some extent.

Varela is on a hot streak in front of goal, but he has only been playing in Serie A for a few months. There is no guarantee that he will continue to score at the same rate.