Manchester City face Barcelona battle for Colombia youth international – Hat-trick scored against Spain | OneFootball

Officials at the Etihad Stadium face a battle to sign one of South America’s latest impressive youth talents with Manchester City joined by Barcelona in showing interest.

The Premier League giants continue to expand their recruitment network across South America following the successful arrivals of talents such as Claudio Echeverri and Vitor Reis earlier this year.

Both of deals reflected Manchester City’s renewed focus on identifying emerging prospects before they are established in European football, and the latest reported pursuit appears to follow a similar pattern.

Manchester City’s scouting department has been particularly active across Brazil, Argentina, and now Colombia, targeting players who combine technical ability with tactical maturity beyond their years.

Now, according to the information of Caracol Radio, Manchester City are currently one of two English clubs – in addition to two Italian clubs – in addition to FC Barcelona that want to sign Colombia Under-20 forward, Neiser Villarreal.

The 20-year-old forward missed the semi-final of the ongoing Under-20 FIFA World Cup due to a yellow card suspension, and following an impressive hat-trick scored against Spain Under-20.

While the player is out of contract soon at Millonarios, the report highlights that he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Cruzeiro before the ongoing youth tournament.

Villarreal has been a standout product of the Millonarios academy system, making his senior debut during the 2023 Categoría Primera A season before quickly establishing himself as one of Colombia’s most exciting attacking talents known for close control, agility, and explosive shooting ability.

Internationally, Villarreal has represented Colombia at Under-20 level since 2024, finishing as top scorer at the 2025 South American U-20 Championship and leading his nation to third place and qualification for the World Cup in Chile.

For City, the club’s hierarchy – who continue to invest heavily in young South American talent through the City Football Group – see Villarreal as a player who could develop within their global system, potentially joining one of their sister clubs before progressing to Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

However, competition for his signature will be fierce, while Cruzeiro’s reported pre-contract agreement could also pose a significant hurdle, though it may serve as a stepping stone for the forward’s eventual move to Europe.

Should City decide to formalise interest, any deal is expected to follow the blueprint of previous youth acquisitions, potentially involving initial placement at one of their European affiliates such as Girona, before a gradual integration into the Etihad setup.