Barcelona will reportedly face stiff competition from Italian club Genoa in the race to sign 18-year-old Brazilian wonderkid Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama.
According to a report by Italian publication La Repubblica, as relayed by Calciomercato, Andrey Santos is the subject of interest from Genoa over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The 18-year-old Brazilian wonderkid is also a target for Barcelona, with the Blaugrana reportedly submitting enquiries for him.
Andrey Santos is one of the most promising prospects in Brazil, with his stock skyrocketing due to his exploits in age-group football. A defensive midfielder by trade, the teenage prodigy reads the game superbly and has shown tremendous positional awareness. The 18-year-old has also represented Brazil at different age-group levels and currently plays for the under-20 team.
The Brazilian wonderkid has broken into the first-team setup at Vasco da Gama this season, garnering 657 minutes of game-time across 11 appearances. And Santos’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with several clubs across Europe, including Barcelona and Genoa, setting their sights on him.
The Catalan giants are renowned for foraying into the Brazilian market to sign the most promising young prospects in the country. Such an outlook has fetched Barcelona several stalwarts over the years, with Neymar being the standout proponent of the same in the past decade.
Andrey Santos has also emerged on Barcelona’s radar, with several other Brazilian prodigies emerging as targets for the Blaugrana in the last few weeks. Recent reports have also claimed that Barcelona could soon open talks to sign Endrick from Palmeiras, with Santos another top target to bolster their midfield department.
But Barcelona will have to fend off stiff competition from Genoa to secure the services of the 18-year-old. The Italian outfit recently went down to the Serie B but might still have preferential treatment in the pursuit of Santos, as they share a common owner with Vasco da Gama – 777 Partners.
Barcelona will thus have an uphill task in the race to sign the Brazilian wonderkid. But it will be interesting to see if the Catalan giants can convince Vasco da Gama to sell him to them instead of Genoa in the summer transfer window as they look to bolster their youth and reserve squads.
