Manchester City have joined the race to sign Brazilian teenager Eduardo Conceicao, who has come through the ranks at Palmeiras and already has a price tag of £87m
Eduardo Conceicao has starred for Brazil's youth side and has a number of clubs eyeing him up
Eduardo Conceicao has starred for Brazil's youth side and has a number of clubs eyeing him up
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Manchester City are among those queueing up to sign Palmeiras teenager Eduardo Conceicao, who is also attracting attention from PSG and Chelsea.
Conceicao has not even made his senior debut for the Brazilian outfit, but his stock is still extremely high having impressed at youth level. As a result a number of Europe's elite are ready and waiting, but may have to match the staggering £87million price tag Palmeiras have set.
Scouts were impressed by the 16-year-old's recent performances in a regional under-20 cup called the Copinha, where he scored four goals and provided three assists in seven appearances. He has also taken centre stage as Brazil advance to the latter stages of the South American under-17 championship.
Despite their huge price tag Palmeiras are prepared to negotiate and they are expected to accept a lower fee if they do cash in on Conceicao.
The teenager is capable of playing on the left wing or as an attacking midfielder. Some clubs have already lodged bids of about £25million. The Times reports that it is unclear what City value Conceicao at.
The Manchester outfit retain a good relationship with Palmeiras and negotiated with them a decade ago to land Gabriel Jesus, when he was regarded among the best young players in the world. More recently they have done business with the Brazilian side, signing Vitor Reis.
City themselves have undergone a rebuild under Pep Guardiola over the past 18 months. The likes of Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and Abdukodir Khusanov were all signed and have been key figures. Back in January, Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi arrived and the duo have made instant impacts.
Vitor Reis recently made the move from Palmeiras to Man City
Vitor Reis recently made the move from Palmeiras to Man City(Image: Getty Images)
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Premier League rivals Chelsea have made it their policy to sign young players they think they can develop - and Conceicao would certainly fit into that category. The Blues themselves did business with Palmeiras in the summer, signing Estevao for £29m.
Conceicao would not be eligible to move to Europe until January 2028 due to FIFA regulations, so any signing would have to be done with a long-term view as he wouldn't be able to run out for his new team straight away.