Manchester City may still be leading the chase for Palmeiras teenager Eduardo Conceição, but the latest revelations from Brazil suggest interest in the 16-year-old goes back much further than many realised – and even involved Jürgen Klopp.
The young attacker has already attracted attention from City, Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and several major European clubs.
While clubs across Europe continue positioning themselves, a new story from Brazil shows that Eduardo was already generating serious interest before he became a household name in youth football… And a Liverpool legend is involved.
Klopp tried early – Palmeiras said no
Globo Esporte says Palmeiras academy chief João Paulo Sampaio confirmed Jürgen Klopp personally wanted to learn more about Eduardo during a visit to Brazil in early 2025.
Klopp, now responsible for football operations across the Red Bull GmbH network, watched Eduardo during the Copa Puma, an under-17 tournament in which the Palmeiras youngster scored three goals in two matches against Red Bull Bragantino.
Sampaio recalled Klopp asking about the player and even enquiring about a possible price.
“Klopp was there and wanted to meet him. He asked me how much he cost. I told him: ‘You still don’t have enough money to buy a player like this,'” he joked.
The Palmeiras official then revealed something even more interesting. The Red Bull group did not stop at making enquiries.
Two offers rejected before the hype exploded
According to Globo Esporte, Palmeiras turned down two separate approaches linked to the Red Bull structure.
The first proposal was worth around £6m (€7m). A second attempt increased that to approximately £8.5m (€10m). Neither came close to convincing Palmeiras.
The identity of the specific club involved was not disclosed. Given Klopp’s role overseeing football operations across the Red Bull network, the interest could have related to RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Bragantino, or another club within the group. Globo’s report does not specify which pathway was being considered.
Sampaio explained that Palmeiras had already made a conscious decision to wait.
“They made two offers, but we wanted to wait. He was already attracting attention from people in Brazil and around the world who wanted to know more about him. Then he exploded at the Brazilian Youth Cup, and now with the national team. It has been a well-planned path.”
Eduardo himself admitted he struggled to believe the Klopp story when he first heard it.
“I found out through my agent during a dinner. We were talking about João Paulo and he remembered it. I couldn’t believe it. I was honoured. For a coach at that level in Europe to speak highly of me is very gratifying.”
Manchester City still pushing as European race grows
While Spanish reports portrayed Barcelona as a favourite, Brazilian coverage still paints Manchester City as the club making the strongest push.
Recent reports have suggested City are working towards a package worth around £34m (€40m), while Palmeiras are looking for something closer to £43m (€50m) before seriously considering a deal.
João Paulo Sampaio also offered perhaps the clearest picture yet of the scale of interest.
“Premier League, three clubs. Spain, Italy. Europe, the big five leagues, Portugal. There are clubs wanting to enter this war.”
The Palmeiras academy director then explained why so many teams are trying to move now.
“They want to finish the player’s development. If he plays in the first team, he becomes more expensive. When they come now, it’s a strategy to take him younger, even knowing he would only leave at the end of 2027.”
That logic helps explain much of what has happened over recent months. Manchester City are trying to accelerate. Manchester United have entered the race. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been linked. Barcelona continue to hover in the background.
The common theme is clear: everyone knows the price may rise sharply once Eduardo becomes a regular part of Palmeiras’ senior plans.
Palmeiras preparing next step
The hype around Eduardo has only grown after a strong South American Under-17 Championship, where he contributed two goals and two assists in six matches for Brazil.
Back at Palmeiras, preparations are already underway for the next stage of his development. Manager Abel Ferreira recently included him in a senior matchday squad, and the club are gradually preparing him for integration into the first-team environment.
There is also a new indication of how highly he is rated internally. According to Globo Esporte, Abel has already asked João Paulo Sampaio when he will be able to count on Eduardo more regularly in the first-team routine after following his performances for Brazil at the South American Under-17 Championship.
The answer appears to be: soon.
Palmeiras are already managing his minutes at under-20 level with a future promotion in mind. The plan is to gradually increase his exposure to the senior environment while maintaining competitive minutes elsewhere.
For Manchester City and the rest of Europe’s elite, that timeline matters. Every appearance for Palmeiras’ first team has the potential to push his valuation higher.