Newcastle United leapfrog Barcelona in the race for €40 million Brazilian prodigy – report | OneFootball

A recent report from SPORT has highlighted Barcelona’s interest in Andrey Santos. It appears the Vasco da Gama starlet was one of the club’s main targets in the South American market, especially in light of his breakthrough in senior football.

A central midfielder by trade, Santos has racked up 37 competitive appearances for Vasco da Gama at the age of just 18. He has impressed onlookers with his creativity and productivity despite being a defensive midfielder, as evidenced by his tally of eight goals.

In light of his success, Barcelona were among the clubs interested in his services. The report even suggests that the Catalans had met with the agents of the player, over the prospect of a potential January move.

However, according to Northern Echo, as relayed by the aforementioned report from SPORT, it appears Barça have been leapfrogged by Newcastle United in the race to sign Andrey Santos.

The report suggests that the Magpies are currently in advanced negotiations with Santos over a move to St. James’ Park in the coming season. Their excellent relationship with the player’s agents appears to have played a key role in facilitating the negotiations.

The report further reveals that Barcelona were not in a position to fund a move for Santos, who had recently signed a contract extension with Vasco da Gama until 2027. The new contract saw him agree to a €40 million release clause.

There were grounds for negotiations from Vasco da Gama’s end, but Barcelona were not able to afford anywhere close to that amount. That is Newcastle United have taken advantage and are poised to sign him up in January, with the teenager likely to arrive at the club in the summer.

A major condition behind the transfer is that the player will continue to play on loan in Brazil for the remainder of the season. It was a condition that Newcastle United were willing to meet, thus helping them facilitate the transfer, even though nothing is official as of yet.