Manchester City have received a major boost in their pursuit of a teenage starlet who has been dubbed the ‘Brazilian Erling Haaland’.
The Citizens have relied heavily on the goals scored by prolific talisman Haaland since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2022, with the Norwegian already ranked as the club’s fifth-highest scorer of all time after netting a remarkable 136 goals in 155 appearances.
Widely regarded as one of, if not the, best striker in the world, Haaland has already scored a whopping 21 goals in just 12 games for club and country this season, with nine strikes in seven Premier League outings making him the early pace-setter in the Golden Boot race.
Haaland has won six trophies as a Man City player, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League, and he committed his future to the club earlier this year by extending his contract until the summer of 2034.
Man City’s No.9 is indeed central to Pep Guardiola’s first-team plans, but they Premier League giants continue to deploy scouts across the world to search for the next rising stars and they intend to take advantage of their connections with clubs in the City Football Group.
Man City keeping tabs on “Haaland of Sertao”
One of those clubs is Brazilian outfit Bahia and ***ESPN***claims that Man City are one of several major clubs in Europe, along with AC Milan, who have been alerted by the rise of 17-year-old striker Wendeson Wanderley Santos de Melo, also known as Dell.
Man City would be the 'most logical' destination for the teenager, who has made a name for himself as an academy player after scoring 40 goals in just 34 games at Under-17s level in 2023, before netting 12 times in 21 matches the following year to help Bahia win their first regional Baianao Championships.
On the international stage, Dell claimed the Golden Boot with four goals and two assists at last year’s Under-15 South America Championship, before firing Brazil to the same title at Under-17s level in March, and he has since been rewarded with a call-up to play at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar next month.
The 5ft 9in striker, who made his senior debut for Brasileiro side Bahia in January at the age of 16, has a professional contract with the club until December 2027 and it includes an €100m (£87m) release clause.
Nevertheless, Dell has revealed his “dream” to play in Europe and wants to represent Man City, who he believes are the “best club in the world”.
Dell confirms ambitions to join Man City in the future
“Every player dreams of playing at a high level in Europe,” Dell told ESPN. “I have this dream of playing for a club like Manchester City, which for me is the best club in the world, but I believe things will happen naturally.
“Before that, I want to play here at Bahia, win titles, become an idol, and then go on to forge my path in Europe. Who knows, maybe win titles and become an idol at Manchester City too.”
Commenting on his ‘Brazilian Haaland’ nickname in reference to his goalscoring ability, Dell added: “I’m very happy to receive this nickname.
“Haaland is an inspiration to many. He’s a guy whose videos I enjoy watching, both outside and inside the box. I think my movements are similar to his.
“I have a few other role models, but besides Haaland, a striker I like and have always followed since the youth academy is [Al-Hilal striker] Marcos Leonardo, who came through Santos. I enjoy watching him play.”
If Man City were to agree a deal for Dell in the near future, they would not be able to officially integrate the youngster into their first-team squad until he turns 18 in June next year.
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