Manchester City are keeping close tabs on an exciting new attacker, but a fresh report has revealed that they aren't the only club who are hoping to bring him to the Premier League in January.
Where are Man City in the table?
In the English top flight, Pep Guardiola’s side have won six and lost two of their opening eight fixtures, meaning that they find themselves third in the table during the international break behind Tottenham and Arsenal. Here is how those matches have played out:
Burnley (3-0)
Wolves (2-1)
Newcastle (1-0)
Arsenal (1-0)
Sheffield United (2-1)
Fulham (5-1)
West Ham (3-1)
Nottingham Forest (2-0)
The Sky Blues currently have a total of 17 players away representing their respective nations, including the likes of Erling Haaland with Norway, Jeremy Doku with Belgium and Julian Alvarez with Argentina (Manchester City website), and this break in domestic action will allow chiefs to assess their transfer options ahead of January.
The Etihad Stadium outfit want to bolster their ranks in the final third having turned their attention towards Palmeiras right-winger Estevao, who despite not having made a senior appearance for his side, is a regular feature of the academy (Transfermarkt – Estevao statistics).
Brazil’s youth international is just 16 years of age, so it’s unlikely that Guardiola is considering a move to throw him straight into the first team due to his lack of experience at a high level. Nevertheless, the talented prospect is a man in demand across Europe.
Estevao transfer update
According to 90min, which has shared a transfer update on Estevao, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid are all "jostling for position" in the race to sign the forward.
As it stands, Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid side are the favourites to secure the services of their target due to their existing relationship with his club, not to mention their incredible history of developing young players, so he could see that as an attractive opportunity.
Therefore, Guardiola – and indeed, Mauricio Pochettino and Mikel Arteta – could find it difficult to sell their projects to the teenager, who has also previously been watched by scouts from Barcelona, Inter and Juventus.
How good is Estevao?
According to talent scout Jacek Kulig, Estevao is an “incredible” attacker for what he is capable of at such a young age, and considering the bags of potential he’s shown so far, he’s got all the attributes to be a success for the long-term future of Man City.
Sponsored by Nike, the left-footed ace has posted three contributions at U20 level (two goals and one assist) in 14 appearances since the start of his career, so he is starting to find his feet when it comes to hitting the back of the net and creating chances in the final third.
In addition, Estevao has the versatility to operate out wide on both the left and right flanks, which is another attribute that chiefs are likely to admire. Therefore, it could be worth going all out to secure the signature of this star in the making in January.
