Barcelona are being tipped to sign 16-year-old Portuguese winger Cardoso Varela after the player and his agent met sporting director Deco for talks.
Varela has also been for a tour around the Ciutat Esportiva as Barca close in on his signing, according to Jijantes. The report claims the transfer “has been simmering for weeks and with total discretion.”
The teenager has been likened to both Vinicius Jr and Jeremy Doku but has had a bit of a curious time recently, as the thread below details.
To cut a long story short, he’s most recently been at Porto but then popped up in Croatia and tried to sign for NK Dinamo Odranski Obrez but saw his registration blocked by FIFA. All a bit strange....
Cardoso Varela (15, 2008)
Story of agents effecting one of the most promising talents in Portugal, previously of FC Porto.
Reminiscent of Vini, Jeremy Doku style winger.
Currently without a club, attracting attention from several of Europe’s top clubs, but a strange career… pic.twitter.com/POngJZb6wg
— António Mango (@AntonioMango4) November 8, 2024
However, Varela is now a free to negotiate with other clubs and jetted in from Zagreb to chat with Deco and Barca.
The Catalans are believed to be eager to continue trying to snap up young and exciting talent and either develop them and get them into the first team or sell on for a large pofit.
Here’s a glimpse of Varela in action for Portugal.
O momento chave do jogo até agora.
Jogada individual incrível de Cardoso Varela, fazendo assim o empate e aumentando os indicies de confiança portugueses ( que até então eram nulos), desde então só deu
Golaço do jovem extremo U16 ⭐️pic.twitter.com/3h4hVhThwA
— Football academy (@FutebolSentido) May 21, 2024
The youngster has been linked with several other clubs recently, including Premier League champions Manchester City, but it looks as though he could be heading to Barcelona instead on a free transfer.