Barcelona make a move for 16-year-old Brazilian jewel amid Manchester City interest | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continue to keep a close eye on the Brazilian market for up-and-coming talents for the future.

One of the names that has generated strong interest from the Blaugrana happens to be Palmeiras teenage gem Eduardo Conceicao.

However, the 16-year-old sensation is also a target for Premier League heavyweights Manchester City, who have already begun working on a move for him.

Barcelona establish contact with Palmeiras

Not to be left behind, Barcelona have now made their move to try and lure Conceicao to the club, reports SPORT.

The Catalans have been closely following the development of the Palmeiras forward, and have decided to communicate their interest to the Brazilian club.

In recent days, there was a telephone conversation between Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, and Joao Sampaio, coordinator of Palmeiras’ academy, known for developing talent.

Barcelona are acting on the interest following Conceicao’s strong performances in the South American Under-17 Championship, where Brazil reached the semi-finals.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eduardo Conceição (@edu_conceicao09)

Barcelona’s second move

Barcelona’s technical department had identified Conceicao even before his participation in the Copinha held last January, where, wearing the No. 10 shirt, he introduced himself to Brazilian football.

The forward was highly rated by the scouting department and for that reason, his representatives visited the Ciutat Esportiva, where they met Joao Amaral, the Catalans’ head of scouting.

Over recent months, Barcelona have been handling first-hand information regarding everything surrounding this precocious talent, who is positioning himself as a future star. He is expected to become a top-level forward.

Now, they have moved to communicate their interest in the teenager, who can play as a left-winger or as a No. 10. But competition is expected to be intense.

Manchester City have already submitted a first formal offer to Palmeiras, worth around €40 million. The English club are pushing to conclude a deal, while also negotiating for another Palmeiras academy gem, Heittor, for whom they would be willing to pay €20 million.