Barcelona keen on 16-year-old Brazilian talent from Sao Paulo | OneFootball

Barcelona’s efforts to sign up the most talented teenagers around the world continue, and the latest player on their radar is in Brazil. With Director of Football Deco, a native of the Portuguese-speaking nation, the Blaugrana’s focus on Brazilian shores has increased.

It is yet to quite pay dividends. The Blaugrana have scouted several talents from Brazil under Deco’s management, but the only one they have brought in was Vitor Roque. After six somewhat fraught months at Barcelona, and seven more months on loan at Real Betis, Barcelona decided to cut their losses and make most of their money back on Roque by selling him to Palmeiras.

Barcelona hold interest in Gustavo Zabarelli

According to Sport, the latest talent in Brazil to catch their eye is number 10 Gustavo Zabarelli, who currently plays for Sao Paulo. The 16-year-old is already attracting attention from Europe, and the fact that he has an Italian passport facilitates a move across the pond. Were he without a European passport, he would have to wait until he was 18 to be able to make the switch.

An international with Brazil at under-15 level, and is expected to move up to the under-20 side at Sao Paulo. One thing in Barcelona’s favour if they do move for Zabarelli is that they have a good relationship with Sao Paulo. His agent Giuliano Bertolucci is keen to move him to Europe before he reaches 18, and Barcelona are clearly an attractive option.

Barcelona will face competition

Left-footed, technical and with a sweet connection with the ball, Zabarelli certainly looks the part of a Barcelona footballer. There are a number of other clubs that see him as a player that could make it with them too. Zabarelli is currently spending a few weeks on trial with Stuttgart in Germany, before returning to Sao Paulo, but Benfica and Ajax are also looking at him.