Vitao playing for Atletico Mineiro
Vitao playing for Atletico Mineiro
The 18-year-old emerged through Atletico Mineiro's youth system and made his senior debut in January this year.
Despite his young age, Vitao has already played 11 times for Atletico in the Brazilian top flight.
Having been part of Brazil's successful South America Under-17 Championship side in 2025, he is now part of the Under-20s squad.
The teenager has already been tipped to reach the top and is said to be on senior Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti's radar already.
Everton also like what they see and have learned what it will take to sign Vitao in January.
Vitao's release clause revealed amid Everton and Brighton interest
Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola, who has over 400,000 followers on X, reported Everton and Brighton's interest via his blog.
It is reported that Vitao is not expected to remain at Atletico Mineiro much longer due to the growing interest.
Not only are Premier League pair Everton and Brighton in for the youngster, but also arguably the biggest club of them all in Real Madrid.
Brighton are said to already be readying a January bid, meaning they are leading the way as things stand.
Vitao has a release clause of around £15million in his contract, which is slightly more than Brighton plan to offer.
The report also states how "phenomenal" Vitao is liked by the Brazil senior coaching team, meaning a leap up the ranks may be possible before long.
Why Everton have to move now for Vitao
Vitao is not exactly a household name. In fact, it would be safe to assume nobody on these shores had heard of him prior to this report.
At the same time, he is clearly a rising star on his way to the top. Ancelotti likes him and Real Madrid want him.
Perhaps more than that, transfer specialists Brighton also believe he is the real deal.
If Brighton think a youngster is worth paying eight figures for, then you can assume he is half-decent at worst.
Fans are desperate for players ready to play right now, but it is also important to look at the long-term with players like Vitao.