Arsenal, Manchester United and Roma are all interested in the Santos FC youngster Yuri Alberto. The information was first published by UOL and confirmed by Sport Witness.
With an impressive development in the youth levels, the 16-year-old is considered one of the Brazilian club’s gems for the future, and is currently negotiating a new contract.
The striker is still to have get professional deal with Santos, which means he has no release clause. For him to sign for an European club, the interested side would only have to pay a compensation for what Santos have already invested in him.
Yuri scored 51 goals in 32 games in 2016, when he played both for the U-15 and U-17s at the club. He was also called up for those age levels with the Brazilian national team.
The youngster has impressed by breaking the goalscoring record in the State Championship, scoring 36 goals in the competition. The previous record belonged to the former Wolfsburg and Atletico Madrid midfielder Diego, who scored 31 goals in 2000.
Yuri is a teammate of another promising striker, Rodrygo, who’s said to have an offer to join Liverpool.
Santos have a tradition of promoting great players from the academy, and that’s why European clubs are always monitoring youngsters even before they debut for the first team.
Sometimes it means these talents are overhyped, with clubs such as Barcelona getting buying options on players who couldn’t even succeed in Brazil. But in order to get to them first, it seems the Premier League sides will keep chasing these starlets.
It doesn’t often result in a deal, but sooner or later both Arsenal and Manchester United will surely find a gem. Jose Mourinho has upped Brazil scouting since arriving at Manchester United, and Arsene Wenger has a network in South America.
