Pep Guardiola’s men are hoping that a Brazilian wonderkid also targeted by Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea will join their ranks.
Manchester City and Arsenal are on course to face off in a transfer battle, alongside their Premier League title race this season.
Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, ex-colleagues at Manchester City, will play each other in a ‘six-pointer’ and potentially title-deciding clash this weekend at the Etihad stadium.
Manchester City take on Arsenal in race for Brazilian wonderkid’s signature
Pep Guardiola’s side spent big in the January window, bringing Antoine Semenyo, ranked at No.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left-wingers in the world, and Marc Guehi on board for their latest title race.
The Cityzens are now advancing in their intentions to make a concrete offer for Brazilian wonderkid Eduardo Conceicao, as structured negotiations are taking place.
According to a report from ESPN Brazil, Manchester City are attempting to speed up negotiations and place themselves above their domestic rivals in the race to sign Conceicao.
Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola has shed more light on the deal, revealing that Conceicao’s representative, Adriano Ribeiro, has confirmed Manchester City are in active talks to sign the player.
There is an expectation that a formal offer will be received by the teenager’s current club Palmeiras soon, however, a gap between the club’s valuation and City’s own valuation has emerged.
While Palmeiras do not expect Conceicao to leave for anything even near to his €100 million release clause, the club value him at a deal closer to €50 million, including bonuses.
This has created a clear negotiation gap that could explain why Manchester City are yet to submit a formal bid, even with relations being healthy between both clubs after previous deals involving Gabriel Jesus and Vitor Reis.
Eduardo Conceicao has registered four goal involvements in four matches at the South American Under-17 Championship for Brazil, and has eight contributions in thirteen for Palmeiras’ Under-20 side this season.
The 16-year-old, who can play as both a winger and second striker, has also become a subject of interest for PSG and Barcelona.
Conceicao cannot move to Europe until he is 18, which will be in December 2027, as per FIFA regulations.
While there is no immediate urgency for his signature, Manchester City are leading the race and will look to pull away from the pack quickly as the teenager's price continues to rise.
Pep Guardiola's side will take on footballing and transfer window rivals Arsenal this Sunday, in a match to potentially decide the 2025-26 Premier League title.
