Manchester United, Arsenal and AS Roma are reportedly in a three-way tussle for Santos wonderkid Yuri Alberto.
Brazilian publication Esporte UOL are claiming that Santos wonderkid Yuri Alberto is attracting a lot of interest from Europe. The striker is reportedly being tailed by the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and AS Roma along with a host of other European outfits.
Yuri Alberto is another gem to emerge from the fabled Santos academy. The 16-year-old striker is not just a key member of the Under-17 squad for Santos but also the top scorer in the aforementioned category.
The player also broke the record for most goals in a Paulista even iteration, scoring 36 goals, whereas the previous record stood at 32, by Diego, who now plies his trade for Flamengo. Alberto has been impressive for Santos, with 51 goals in just 32 matches at both the Under-15 and Under-17 stage combined.
Santos’ 16-year old forward Yuri Alberto is wanted by Man Utd, Arsenal & Roma, says Lancenet. He hasn’t signed a professional contract yet. pic.twitter.com/dXJEqI4eZP
— Paulo Freitas (@Cynegeticus) April 5, 2017
His performances have alerted a host of European clubs, who are now looking to sign him up.
Manchester United have been looking to increase their scouting network in Brazil and the entire South American region in an attempt to scour for more gems to emerge from the region, after seeing the rise of players like Lucas Moura, Neymar and others.
The Red Devils took Matheus Marcosi on trial recently while they have expressed interest in the likes of Vinicius Jr. and Lyanco among other starlets.
The interest is also troubling Santos, with the player yet to sign a professional deal with the club. At 16, Santos are trying to speed up negotiations to tie him with a professional contract at the club. But, as long as he hasn’t agreed to a pro-deal, he may be snapped up by any club for a measly compensation fee.
The player has been called up by the national team, which is likely to pique the interest of the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal. The Gunners have always been seeking the addition of prodigious youngsters to their highly-rated academy and it looks like a case of the same with Yuri Alberto.
AS Roma, on the other hand, could be able to provide Yuri with a faster track to the first-team setup and the Italian outfit could be in an advantage for the fact that, every young Brazilian striker loves the prospect of moving to Italy, after seeing the rise of Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
The player, in all probability, will end up signing a deal with Santos. However, the interest of clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal serves as validation for the work he has been putting in. Who knows, Yuri Alberto might just be end up plying his trade at either Emirates of the Theatre of Dreams one day, if not in the near future.
