Portuguese wonderkid scouted by Manchester City at Club World Cup – Manchester United and Arsenal also interested | OneFootball

Manchester City are amongst a series of English clubs to have sent scouts to watch Porto and Portugal teenager Rodrigo Mora at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, as per a new report.

City have made an eye-catching start to their transfer business this summer, having added Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki to Pep Guardiola’s squad after failing to challenge for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles last season.

Hugo Viana has laid down an early marker after replacing Txiki Begiristain as director of football, playing a key role in the decision against offering Kevin De Bruyne as new deal as the 34-year-old Belgian approached the end of this last Manchester City contract.

Manchester City have also offloaded Kyle Walker to Burnley for a deal that could fetch the club £5 million, with Scott Carson also released. Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips are also expected to leave – either on loan or permanently – between now and when the transfer window closes on September 1.

Outgoings have dominated the news since Manchester City crashed out of the FIFA Club World Cup at the Round of 16 stage courtesy of a 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal, with Viana and co believed to be keen on trimming and streamlining Guardiola’s bloated squad before the 2025-26 Premier League campaign kicks off in August.

Centre-half is an area most likely to witness a departure as John Stones enters the final year of his current Manchester City deal. The 31-year-old endured another injury-riddled campaign last term and has attracted interest from Everton.

James McAtee is expected to complete a permanent departure after struggling for regular minutes under Guardiola last season. The recently-crowned U-21 European Championship winner is valued between £25-30 million at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City are also in the running for a new right-back to replace the departed Walker as the board deliberate over returning to negotiations with Newcastle for Valentino Livramento, who is viewed as an ideal signing to address an issue that has proved to be an Achilles’ Heel for Guardiola in recent seasons.

" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Football Transfers are reporting that Manchester City were amongst a significant cohort of Premier League sides to have scouted Porto and Portugal wonderkid Rodrigo Mora at the Club World Cup in June.

Mora – who is contracted at Porto till 2030 and has a release clause understood to be worth €70 million – has emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting attacking midfielders in recent years, attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.

Arsenal’s interest in the 18-year-old is believed to be the most advanced of all English clubs, with the Gunners also in advanced negotiations with Sporting Lisbon for a deal that could bring Viktor Gyokeres to the Emirates Stadium.

It is unlikely at present that Manchester City strengthen their interest in Mora – with Guardiola blessed with a rich array of attacking talent – especially after the addition of France winger Cherki to his star-studded ranks this summer.