Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
With the international break upon us, the column inches are being filled with transfer speculation around FC Barcelona. With the current La Liga champions being tipped with a move for a Brazilian wonderkid.
New sporting director Deco has a firm understanding of the Brazilian market, and having helped secure the signing of Vitor Roque for the Blaugrana, he’s now eyeing up more talent. Wanting to create a pipeline of talent crossing the Atlantic.
The latest name that pops up within the Barca offices is Corinthians prodigy Gabriel Moscardo, a young pivot midfielder who has the world at his feet.
At one point this summer it appeared as though Premier League side Chelsea would win the race for his signature, but the West London club were only willing to offer €20 million plus variables, with the Brazilian side holding out for €30 million.
According to Joaquim Piera of SPORT, Chelsea have cooled their interest in the 17-year-old star and that could leave the door open for Barcelona to strike a deal, using their Brazilian connections to broker an agreement.
Gabriel Moscardo is considered a Brazilian superstar in the making
Moscardo only made his Série A debut for Corinthians at the start of July, but his talent was immediately evident, and he’s now gone on to make a number of appearances for the Brazilian outfit who sit 13th in the table and outside the qualification places for both the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana.
The nature of Brazilian football means that Corinthians head coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo is aware that he’ll lose the talented youngster to Europe sooner or later, but president Duílio Monteiro Alves is sticking to his valuation of the promising midfielder.
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The big question for FC Barcelona is, can they afford him?
We all know that we are limited by the financial fair play regulations and with Vitor Roque set to sign in January, it’s unclear if Barca has the financial wiggle room to spend another €30 million.
However, if Barcelona were willing to sign him and let him stay with Corinthians until the 2024 European transfer window, it could give them a leg up in the negotiations.
Moscardo is seen as a natural defensive midfielder, and Deco could be looking at him as the eventual replacement for Oriol Romeu.
Despite being just 17 years old, Moscardo shows real maturity in terms of his positioning on the field. He’s the defensive wall that recovers the ball for the Brazilian side, but his technical ability makes him an all-around prospect in midfield.
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