Manchester United’s attempts to position themselves early for Gabriel Veneno may already be facing a serious problem: Barcelona are moving aggressively for the Atletico Mineiro teenager.
Recent reports suggested United were accelerating their background work on the 16-year-old. They are also keeping close contact around one of Brazil’s most hyped prospects.
However, according to ESPN Brazil, the Catalan club are now trying to jump ahead in the race.
The report states Barcelona want to secure an agreement for Veneno even before he makes his professional debut for Atletico Mineiro.
While FIFA rules prevent any move before he turns 18, the Spanish side reportedly want to lock down the operation early and avoid a longer battle with Premier League clubs later.
Barcelona strategy laid out
According to ESPN Brazil, Barcelona’s plan would be to initially place Veneno in their B side. This would follow a path previously used with other Brazilian prospects arriving in Spain at a young age.
The deal is not described as advanced yet. Still, the financial scale already shows how seriously the teenager is being viewed.
ESPN state the transfer could eventually reach £17m (€20m). That is a huge figure for a player who has not yet debuted professionally.
Manchester United, therefore, may already be discovering that simply monitoring the situation will not be enough if they truly want to compete for the forward.
“New Neymar” comparisons already appearing
The report also claims sources in Spain have started comparing Veneno to Neymar.
That kind of label always needs caution, especially around a 16-year-old. Even in Brazil, there are people urging calm despite the enormous hype around him. Still, the attention keeps growing.
Veneno and his snakebite story have already become one of the most talked-about academy players in Brazilian football.
Atletico Mineiro view him as a major long-term asset and, until recently, reports in Brazil suggested the club were relaxed about the European interest because no concrete talks existed.
Barcelona’s movement appears to change the tone slightly. For Manchester United, this could be considered a battle that may require real action sooner than expected.