Barcelona are continuing to monitor the situation of Brazilian wonderkid Andrey Santos and could come up with a crafty offer to stave off interest from Newcastle United.
Barcelona are preparing a transfer move for Vasco da Gama wonderkid Andrey Santos. That is according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, which claims Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff is personally “working on” acquiring the services of the 18-year-old midfielder in the winter transfer window.
Barcelona have long been keeping track of his development after he broke into their first team over the last 12 months. The 18-year-old, dubbed the “Brazilian Busquets” due to his impressive reading of the game, made his debut as a substitute in a 3-0 loss to Londrina-PR last November and has now established himself as a vital cog in the Vasco da Gama side.
Primarily an anchor man but also utilised as a box-to-box midfielder, Santos has scored seven goals in 33 outings for Vasco da Gama. The 18-year-old is showing enormous potential in Brazil’s second tier and is regarded as one of the most promising all-round midfielders in Brazil.
He looks set for a bright future, and the Brazilian minnows will have a tough battle on their hands to keep him away from the clutches of European sides. Santos, for his part, recently put pen to paper on a new long-term contract with Vasco da Gama in September, committing his future to the club until 2027.
Numerous clubs want to sign him, he's one of the most promising Brazilian youngsters and is already well-known, although he is just playing in Série B!
Exactly, I'm talking about Andrey #Santos!
Let's have a look at the 18yo Brazilian talent! 🇧🇷🪄#VascoDaGama #talent #Seleção pic.twitter.com/FahhKKTz5o
— PFF-Scout (Promising Football Future) (@PFF_scout) October 15, 2022
And the Brazilian outfit will insist that any suitor activate the €40 million release clause in his new contract in order to sign their prized asset. Barcelona, for one, are eyeing a deal for Santos as part of their plan to replace Sergio Busquets at Camp Nou. Despite Busquets’s continued presence, a new holding midfielder is said to be a key transfer objective for Barcelona in the January window.
Busquets’s contract in Catalonia expires in 2023, with the veteran midfielder potentially set to leave, despite his denial of a move to the MLS. To that end, Ruben Neves has been offered to the Blaugrana by super-agent Jorge Mendes and could well arrive as a direct replacement for Busquets if he leaves Camp Nou next summer.
However, based on his performances this season, the 34-year-old seems to still have a good couple of years left in the tank. And should the Catalans decide to prolong his stay, then signing a teenage Brazilian sensation like Santos would make more sense to develop and incorporate him into the first team in the long run.
Barcelona already have numerous adolescent midfielders, notably Pedri and Gavi. Adding another prodigy in Santos to the mix would result in an exciting midfield three with a very high ceiling. But Barcelona are likely to face competition from mega-rich Premier League club Newcastle United in their pursuit of the 18-year-old midfield dynamo.
The Magpies considered making a €35 million bid for Santos in the summer but opted against it. Newcastle are still interested in the Brazilian talent and could make a move for him in January.
While Barcelona wish to sign Santos in January, they are exploring the prospect of reducing the €40 million fee by allowing the teenager to remain on loan at Vasco da Gama until June 2023. Whether they can get this kind of deal over the line remains to be seen.