Barcelona set sights on 18-year-old Brazilian defensive prodigy
Barcelona continue to monitor the Brazilian market for up-and-coming talents to reinforce the squad with an eye on the future.
Vitor Roque was signed from Athletico Paranaense last year while the Catalans held a strong interest in Estevao Willian, although they decided to pass up on his acquisition due to multiple reasons.
Now, it appears that another exciting young player from Brazil has caught the attention of Barcelona.
Barcelona eye Rafa Venancio
Indeed, as per Joaquim Piera of SPORT, Barcelona have set their sights on Corinthians’ defensive starlet Rafa Venancio.
The 18-year-old is a centre-back who plays for the Brazilian outfit’s Under-20 side, having made six appearances.
Venancio did the pre-season with the Corinthians’ senior setup and has been on the bench for a couple of matches but is yet to make his debut.
The teenager is a left-footed defender, 1.85m tall, who stands out for his good technical skills and sound defensive nous. He fits the profile of centre-backs Barcelona are always looking for while also being able to play at left-back.
Contact already made
The report further states that Barcelona have already made contact with Venancio’s entourage over a possible transfer this summer.
In fact, the 18-year-old’s agent has already visited the Barça offices and held several meetings with the technical staff to discuss the operation.
The idea would be for Venancio to be a part of the Juvenile A setup next season while also staying in the dynamics of the reserve team.
But Barcelona are not the only club interested in Venancio as two clubs from Italy are also keen on signing him.
So, it will be interesting to see if the Catalan giants press ahead with the pursuit of the Brazilian prospect.