Manchester City owners protecting €200M Brazilian star to propel Premier League move | OneFootball

The City Football Group have protected Bahia and Brazilian talent Ruan Pablo from domestic interest with a view to bring him to the Premier League in the future, as per a new report.

Bahia’s Pablo has attracted interest in some quarters owing to his bottomless list of attributes that make him one of the most exciting prospects in the CFG consortium. 

The 17-year-old can use both feet, is versatile and has the ability to take on defenders with his flair and pace down the flanks, which makes him an exciting prospect for the long-term. 

His recent performances for Brazil at youth level, including those at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar, have reinforced interest from a Manchester City standpoint – but the club view him as a high-upside project rather than a short-term acquisition.

Pablo remains firmly on the radar of the Premier League side as club officials continue to monitor his progress. He is already known to have spent time in Manchester last year, with Guardiola fully aware of his potential. 

As reported by Globo Esporte and relayed by Sport Witness, Bahia have renewed Pablo’s contract until the end of 2030 to block an attempt from another domestic side to sign the left winger. 

The report also suggests that Bahia chose to strengthen their position rather than entering talks with external suitors, which fits the wider strategy inside the CFG umbrella – where Bahia act as a development platform for elite prospects – Pablo being one of them. 

Under the new deal, it is understood that Bahia increased the forward’s international release clause to £169 million (€200 million) and domestic clause to £17.5 million (€18 million), underlining the club’s intention to keep control of the young star’s future.

This wouldn’t be the first time a scenario like this has transpired. Savinho joined two clubs that fall under CFG – Troyes in 2022 before being loaned to Girona in 2023, where he made his greatest progress by scoring 11 goals and assisting 10 times in 41 games across all competitions.

Subsequently, the winger arrived in England for a reported fee of £30.8 million in July 2024 to reach Manchester City, the pinnacle of the CFG institution. He has since played 71 times for the Blues and signed a new long-term deal at the Etihad Stadium in October 2025.

Vitor Reis is another talent to have been passed through the CFG system, first joining City in 2025 as part of a £180 million+ spending spree 12 months ago before being loaned out to sister club Girona, where he has progressed rapidly and will spend the remainder of the current campaign.

Whether Pablo will follow a similar path is yet to be seen, but his £169 million clause for anyone outside of Brazil paints a telling picture as to what Bahia and the CFG’s intentions are.