La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly tracking the progress of 14-year-old Brazilian prodigy Estevao Willian.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Estevao Willian is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are closely monitoring the progress of the 14-year-old Brazilian prodigy, with fellow Palmeiras youngster Endrick also on their radar.
Estevao Willian is widely regarded as one of the brightest young players in Brazil. The teenage prodigy has had enormous hype surrounding him since he was a 10-year-old when he became the youngest player to sign a commercial with Nike.
A left-footed striker, Willian has often drawn comparisons with Lionel Messi due to his distinct style of play that mirrors that of the Barcelona legend. So it is hardly surprising that Willian has been scouted by some of the most high profile outfits in Europe, with Barcelona among the clubs keeping tabs on his progress.
Interestingly, the Catalan giants were previously offered the chance to sign Estevao Willian back when Ramon Planes was the club’s technical secretary. The 14-year-old wonderkid has popped up on Barcelona’s radar again, and Deco, who is in charge of controlling the South American market for the Blaugrana, will make a decision on whether to pursue him.
Estevao Willian’s fellow Palmeiras youth prodigy Endrick is also a target for Barcelona. And Barcelona will be closely monitoring the 14-year-old’s progress for the next few years, as they cannot bring foreign players to Catalonia until they are 18 years old.
Barcelona and the other suitors are also in the same boat in the pursuit of Endrick, although they are preparing an offer to secure his services while allowing Palmeiras to keep him till he turns 18. If Deco deems Estevao Willian to be good enough to join them, Barcelona could follow a similar template by securing the option to sign him.
The alternative for Barcelona will be to secure a preferential option for Willian, which is what they did with Santos prodigies Kaiky Fernandes and Angelo Gabriel. For now, Barcelona will continue tracking Estevao Willian’s progress, and it will be interesting to see if the 14-year-old wonderkid becomes a key target for them in the years to come.
