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The man who took Gabriel Jesus to Palmeiras is pretty confident about the wonderkid’s future. In an interview with UOL  on Thursday, 66-year-old Jaime Melo explained how he watched him for the first time, and said he has the potential to be in Lionel Messi’s level.

Jaime Melo was a football director at Anhanguera when agent Fabio Caran told him he had a good youngster. He asked to have a look and was immediately impressed: “In four minutes, he made two runs through, scored two in the top corner, I saw he was different.

“I stood up, went to the car, took Palmeiras’ form, in the next day I brought it back signed by his mum, Mrs. Vera, and I took it to Jair Jussio [youth team director].”

Melo did this because he’s a Palmeiras fan, but couldn’t get any money after the player was sold to Manchester City for €32m.

“I haven’t received anything so far. I took him to my team from the heart, I knew this boy would get where he got.

“He didn’t even take part in a test, Jair put him in a friendly against São Caetano, he scored four goals. So it started, U15, U17, top scorer, now you see how he is.”

“With three months at Palmeiras, Candinho [assistant manager] said, ‘this boy is a national team player’, and he was only between 15 and 16 years old.”

“I’d like to watch his debut at Manchester City, I’m preparing myself psychologically and financially,” he jokes.

“In Guardiola’s hands, Gabriel will get to Neymar’s, Messi’s level. But I’m not saying it will be in his first year, no.”

After winning the Copa do Brasil with Palmeiras, Gabriel Jesus is having a little rest before he moves to England and joins the Manchester City squad.

The player has recently revealed he’s asked to use the number 33 shirt when playing for the club, as this is the shirt he’s been using since his youth years.