Barcelona have reportedly jumped in the lead over Manchester United in pursuit of SL Benfica prodigy Umaro Embalo.
According to Spanish publication Marca, Manchester United are in danger of losing out on another prodigious Portuguese youngster to another side. Umaro Embalo was linked heavily to United. But, it seems Barcelona have now jumped ahead of Manchester United in pursuit of the highly-rated winger.
Umaro Embalo is a prospect who has gained much attention in the recent times. Widely hailed as a prodigy, his performances for Benfica in the UEFA Youth League has been drawing a lot of interest.
Add to that the fact that he is the captain of the Under-17 Portugal team with a record of 7 goals in 12 appearances and the tag of a prodigy does seem a deserving one after all.
Manchester United were touted to be heavy favourites in pursuit of the 16-year-old, with the club linked with the player on numerous occasions. There were reports too, that United had an agreement in place with Benfica for the transfer of Embalo.
However, with the move yet to go through, it seems they may see their pursuit being hijacked by Barcelona. The Catalans have been linked to Embalo for a while. But, it seems they have now taken the lead in pursuit of the 16-year-old attacker.
Agent of Man United target Úmaro Embaló, Catio Baldé: “The president [of Benfica] doesn’t want Embaló to leave. Man United isn’t the only club interested, but it’s no point in talking about this. The possibility[of him leaving] is no longer on the table.” pic.twitter.com/FRW14xLjrS
— Jan Hagen (@PortuBall) November 17, 2017
Embalo has the ability to play across the front three, which would be a huge asset to whichever club he ends up at. There have already been talks of a €13 million bid being rejected by Benfica. While the name of the club is yet to be revealed, it could be RB Leipzig, that is another club linked to the prodigious attacker.
Barcelona have suffered defeat in their pursuit of Vinicius Jr., who has chosen Real Madrid. Embalo could be Barcelona’s answer to the Brazilian.
The €13 million bid rejected by Benfica shows that the club values the player at a range higher than the mentioned amount. Also, it would depend on Embalo’s preference. The 16-year-old may opt to stay at Benfica, where he perhaps already has a path into the first-team in place.
At United or Barcelona, he could become just another promising youngster that is a part of their academy and is unlikely to be thrust into senior action soon. A decision that is Umbalo’s entirely. But, Barcelona are confident in their ability to convince the 16-year-old.
