Manchester City, Real Madrid to battle out for ‘Jewel of Santos’
By Harsha Movva
According to reports, Manchester City are reportedly set to join the race for Brazilian Wonder kid, Weslley Patati who has been famously dubbed as the “jewel of Santos”. The Cityzens though are going to face stiff competition for his prized signature from Real Madrid, The Mirror understands.
Patati, 18, has been a superstar for the Brazilian club, Santos, and is seen as the one to follow the legacy of his nation’s finest footballers like Neymar and Rodrygo. The attacking midfielder has seen an astronomic rise in his stocks in the last few months, with his release clause quoted at £100 million by Santos.
Having said that, it is interesting to see if either of the clubs are willing to spend such a massive amount for the 18-year-old. However, The Sport reports that Manchester City have been tracking Patati’s progress since the last 18 months and are more than keen on landing the teenage sensation this summer.
Guardiola’s men have been quite sensational this season with 50 points from 20 league fixtures. The league leaders are currently 11 points clear of second-placed Chelsea and 12 points clear of third-placed Liverpool (19 matches) who face each other at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in what is going to be a riveting contest with 3 massive points at stake.
Pep has made his intentions clear w the winter window, as he said that the Skyblues are not going to sign a striker in January. But, he may be keen on reinforcing his midfield which seems to be aging with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Fernandinho, and Kevin De Bruyne on the wrong side of his thirties.
On the flip side, Madrid have very few reasons to ponder upon their star-studded midfield, which is arguably the best in La-Liga with the likes of Casemiro, Tony Kronos, and Luka Modric. It will be interesting to see if either Real Madrid or Manchester City are willing to spend £100 million for the Brazilian teenage sensation.