The team from Catalonia has set their sights on one of Brazil’s greatest football talents.
Barcelona have decided to take control of the negotiations for Eduardo Conceição – a 16-year-old striker who is currently enthralling everyone in the South American U17 Championship.
Read: Premier League calls for José Mourinho
Having lost the battle for both Endrick and Estêvão in the past, the Catalan sports management is determined to avoid old sins. They want to secure this playful winger – and quickly.
Price tag: 50 million euros
The São Paulo club has priced their young talent at close to 50 million euros. The sum includes both fixed amounts and a number of performance-based variables.
FC Barcelona leads the way – in the middle of the Premier League siege
Barcelona have stepped up contact with the player’s people and the Palmeiras management. They take advantage of an institutional interaction that seems to give them a small but important advantage. But the battle for the signing will not be an easy dance – giants Manchester City and Chelsea have also made formal moves.
City have reportedly put around €40 million on the table, making them the most dangerous rival to Barcelona’s ambitions. The interest is enormous, not least because of the player’s path to becoming the tournament’s most valuable player in Paraguay.
Barcelona’s desperate time crunch
Barcelona’s strategy is clear: They need to reach a quick deal that blocks the striker’s departure before his value skyrockets further. Eduardo Conceição has a theoretical buyout clause of €100 million, but Palmeiras are open to negotiating for half.
The Catalan club has been following him since before the famous Copinha tournament, where the attacker recorded four goals and three assists in just seven games. It is this long-term vision that now places Barcelona one step ahead of the English hunters.
Why Camp Nou wants him
The style of play of this young talent is reminiscent of the best tradition of Brazilian wingers who have succeeded at FC Barcelona throughout history. With an innate ability to create imbalance, the player himself has stated that his greatest strength is one-on-one situations and overcoming opponents with his raw speed.
His understanding of the game and imagination in the final third make him a very special player – one who stands out from the rest of his generation. In the South American U17 Championship, he has already delivered moments that confirm that he can quickly adapt to football at the absolute top level.
The Future of the Young Brazilian Goal Thief
Palmeiras is rubbing their hands. This could be another multi-million dollar deal that fills the club’s coffers and consolidates their position as South America’s premier talent factory.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are convinced that the player’s own desire to wear the blaugrana shirt will outweigh the highest financial offers from London.
Decisive phase
The negotiations are now entering a crucial phase. Every single contract detail can tip the scales towards one side of the Atlantic or the other in a short period of time. The intense scouting work that Barcelona’s people have put in over many months shows an absolute and unbreakable belief in the boy’s potential.
For the Catalan club, a signing would be a powerful signal in the Brazilian market – after years of disappointments against richer rivals. Barcelona is seeking to make this new jewel the cornerstone of its future project, ensuring its fans young talent and the will to win.
If talks go as planned, the announcement of the deal could come before the ongoing international youth tournament is over. The football world is watching eagerly as this raw diamond gets ready to step into the absolute shooting star of the European light.
From oil to bits: How Norway became the world’s most digital society
