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After stepping up in place of the injured Ederson at Manchester City recently, Stefan Ortega has reportedly attracted interest from around Europe and the Middle East, creating a potential problem for Pep Guardiola to solve this summer.

Man City transfer news

Showing their human side for the first time in a long time so far this season, Manchester City could be set for a busy summer transfer window, as Guardiola looks to avoid making a habit of three-team title races in the Premier League. With that said, the Cityzens have already been linked with moves for Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala in two big-money deals.

Fabrizio Romano: Man City sign new teenager ahead of "top clubs"

He’s the latest young arrival.

By
Charlie Smith

Mar 27, 2024

It could be exit news that first steals the headlines at The Etihad this summer, however, with Ortega attracting plenty of interest. With the goalkeeper's current contract running out in the summer of 2025, it wouldn't be a surprise if City did decide to cash in whilst they can too, before beginning their search for a replacement.

The 31-year-old has seamlessly slotted in to replace Ederson when the Brazilian has been unavailable this season, but in doing so has proved his ability to act as a starting option elsewhere. Now, reports suggest that if Ortega will leave, City have in turn looked towards the Serie A.

According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Manchester City are interested in signing Mile Svilar from AS Roma this summer, while there is also interest from fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, negotiations look set to be difficult with Roma, given that the Italian giants want to keep hold of their goalkeeper in the case of Rui Patricio's exit and reportedly plan on offering him a new deal on top of his current contract, which expires in 2027. But money is rarely an obstacle for those at The Etihad, meaning they usually get what they desire in the transfer market.

"Phenomenal" Svilar can take Ortega's place

Svilar, still just 24-years-old, can take Ortega's place as the current City man potentially looks elsewhere for minutes. What's more, when considering the fact that the latter is now 31-years-old, it won't be too long before Guardiola needs to look for a replacement anyway, meaning that a move to sign Svilar this summer comes at a more ideal time than ever.

Svilar also received Jose Mourinho's approval before the former Chelsea boss even joined Roma, with the self-proclaimed Special One dubbing the goalkeeper as a "phenomenon" and an "amazing" prospect. Still entering his prime, the only obstacle standing between Man City and their ability to convince Svilar may well prove to be game time. The Serbian needs minutes when at his best and there's no guarantee of that ahead of Ederson.

Can the newly-promoted clubs stave off the threat of an immediate return to the Championship? And if they do, who will slip into the bottom three?

After an epic summer of sport, you might have been forgiven for not realising that the new Premier League season kicks-off in just over 24 hours' time. And so while teams are still finessing their transfer business and making final tactical tweaks, everything is pretty much in place for the 2024-25 campaign to begin.

That means its predictions season, and here at GOAL we're no different. Over the past week, our writers have been giving their takes on all the biggest issues, from the Golden Boot contenders to the first manager to be sacked; from the surprise packages and best signings to the biggest disappointments.

Today, we've taken a look at the relegation contenders, and which teams are most likely to be fighting for survival over the next nine months:

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  'Gulf between Premier League & Championship'

  Mark Doyle: First things first, we can but pray that next season’s relegation battle (and title race, for that matter!) are not affected by points deductions related to Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR), which just make a mockery of the entire league – but that appears a faint hope given the state of the English game right now. Indeed, newly-promoted Leicester City could well be sanctioned in a matter of weeks for previous breaches of the financial rules.

  Still, maybe it won’t make much of a difference to the final outcome anyway, given the gap between the Premier League and the Championship has developed into a gulf in recent years. Last season, all three promoted teams suffered relegation for the first time since 1998. But it will likely happen again this term, with Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton set to go straight back down. Nottingham Forest could certainly struggle again, but even they look a cut above all of the newcomers.

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  'Forest have too many under-par performers'

  Amee Ruszkai: If this was previewing another season in the Championship for Southampton, I'd say I really like their transfer business. However, a lack of proven quality in the Premier League among those new recruits, and the same for the manager, means inexperience is likely to cost them in the fight for survival. Leicester, another newly-promoted team, are in quite a different place with a side that features a lot of the names that were relegated little over 12 months ago. Yet, the feeling is similar to the Saints in that this Foxes squad just isn't quite good enough to stay afloat in the top-flight, even if the appointment of Steve Cooper gives them a greater chance.

  Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, limped over the finish line in 2023-24, with just four wins from their last 18 games. It's a team that has some real talent, with Morgan Gibbs-White a compelling talisman, but the overall assembly of it feels rather random. Though it is at least a slimmed down version of last year's ridiculous squad, it's still one that features too many under-par performers for me.

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  'Ipswich surviving would be stuff of miracles'

  Stephen Darwin: It feels like the gap between the sides coming up from the Championship and those towards the bottom of the Premier League is getting ever-bigger. Last season proved as much, with all three dropping straight back down – and that was even after both Nottingham Forest and Everton were hit with points deductions. It's going to be an almighty struggle for Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester to survive, and looking across all three of their squads and the signings that have come in, they don't seem to have the quality and strength in depth to usurp those that are likely to be around them.

  Prolific in England's second tier, Adam Armstrong will be hungrier than most to prove he does have what it takes to score goals in the top-flight after struggling in previous years, but even a bucketload of goals from him may not be enough to keep Southampton up. Leicester, meanwhile, lost one of their best players in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and haven't been able to bring in any proven Premier League quality. And for all the fanfare Kieran McKenna's received – and rightly so – for masterminding Ipswich's promotion last term, it would be the stuff of miracles if they manage to avoid the drop.

  Looking at their relegation rivals, Forest look the most likely to struggle, but with their experience of beating the drop from the past two seasons, they seem better equipped than the newly-promoted three to stay up.

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  'Everton's luck must run out'

  Richard Martin: Leicester City surged back to the Premier League at the first time of asking but have since seen Chelsea swipe away the manager who took them there along with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the midfielder who knitted their play together. The Foxes also face the looming threat of a points deduction for flouting the league's Profitability and Sustainability Rules. Southampton, meanwhile, haemorrhaged goals in the Championship last season, conceding 63 times, which does not bode well for returning to the top flight.

  Ipswich Town, however, should buck last season's trend of all three promoted teams going down. Kieran McKenna led them to successive promotions and is a flexible coach whose attacking principles will ensure they win enough games, particularly at home, to stay up. That leaves one vacant spot for the drop which will go to Everton, who have been clinging on for dear life in the last three seasons. Their luck must finally run out, particularly with so many key players leaving and their hands still being tied by PSR problems and funding their new stadium.

Mason Greenwood scored a superb goal on his Marseille debut against Stade Brestois on Saturday.

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• Ex-Man Utd striker up and running
• Scores trademark goal into bottom corner
• Gets his second from the penalty spot

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Greenwood moved to Marseille in the summer on a divisive permanent deal, having been told his Manchester United career was over following an investigation into his conduct after an arrest on charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault. The charges were dropped but the striker has moved to France to continue his career away from Manchester and already has two goals to his name.

  Greenwood needed just three minutes to open his account with a lovely run and finish in their Ligue 1 opener against Brest before grabbing his second, and Marseille's third, from the penalty spot.

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• WATCH GREENWOOD'S FIRST GOAL

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Greenwood made a name for himself at United by scoring very similar goals, as he drifted in off the wing and often found the bottom corner. His penalty then made it 47 senior goals throughout his career.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After Saturday's game, Marseille are next in action next weekend against Reims and Greenwood is likely to be involved again.

Newcastle United could sanction the exit of a "unique" St James' Park hero in the summer transfer window, according to a key update regarding his future.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies secured an excellent 4-0 win at home to Tottenham on Saturday, jumping to sixth place in the Premier League at the time, ahead of what is hopefully a positive end to the season. Regardless of what happens in the remaining weeks of the campaign, a number of new signings are needed in the summer, with more depth required.

Newcastle have been linked with a move for Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, and the 21-year-old appears to be seen as a replacement for Martin Dubravka. Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsdale is an option to join from Arsenal, providing stiff competition for Nick Pope between the sticks.

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone has also emerged as a potential target for Eddie Howe, with the Magpies seen as unexpected candidates to snap him up in the coming months. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a solid season in the Bundesliga, starting 15 matches and averaging 1.8 tackles per game.

Newcastle are also believed to be interested in signing Billy Gilmour, too, with the Scotland international currently at Brighton, proving to be a strong performer in the middle of the park.

This could also be a summer that sees plenty of big names heading out of the St James' Park exit door, however, and there has been a development regarding one such player.

Newcastle planning to accept Almiron offer

According to a new report from Football Insider, Newcastle could be happy to sell Miguel Almiron this summer, having failed to complete a move to Saudi Arabia during the January transfer window.

The report says that the Paraguayan "could leave" the Magpies at the end of the season, and "clubs are expected to look at the forward as a potential target". Newcastle are actually "set to accept an appropriate offer", it is added.

This summer does feel like the natural time to bring an end to Almiron's time at Newcastle, with the wide attacker now 30 years of age and arguably not quite the force he was. That is outlined by a tally of just three goals in 29 Premier League outings this season, compared to 11 in the competition last time around.

The £60,000-a-week attacker has still been a good servant overall, though, netting 30 times in total and being hailed by Howe earlier this season, with the Magpies boss saying:

"He’s (Almiron) a unique footballer. I don’t think there’s anyone better at doing what he does – all energy, all action. I’d like to see his physical stats today because I’m sure they’d be through the roof. The quality he showed with his finish was very reminiscent of some of the goals he scored last year. It’s a great return to form for Miggy – he’s such an important player for us."

Newcastle now the unexpected candidates in race to sign "fantastic" star

A sign of intent from the Magpies…

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 12, 2024

Almiron is contracted to Newcastle until 2026, so this upcoming window is arguably the last good chance to receive a healthy fee for him, rather than losing him on the cheap further down the line.

Casemiro has reportedly made a decision on his Manchester United future as Galatasaray plot a move for the Brazilian after Liverpool nightmare.

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• Casemiro was poor against Liverpool
• His mistakes led to two of the goals
• United are ready to ship him to Turkey

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following a string of unimpressive performances, including a particularly difficult outing against Liverpool, speculation had arisen about Casemiro's potential departure from Old Trafford. Galatasaray have been considering a move for Casemiro, with their transfer window still open until next Friday but the former Real Madrid star has no intention of leaving Manchester United, according to

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Casemiro’s debut season at Manchester United was highly successful after his £70 million ($92m) transfer from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022. The Brazilian played a key role in United’s resurgence, helping the team secure a top-four finish and a place in the UEFA Champions League. However, the 2023-24 season had been less kind to the 32-year-old as his form noticeably dipped, with errors creeping into his performances. And the recent struggles against the Reds have put his future in uncertain waters under Erik ten Hag.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Casemiro has been left out of the national team squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay. The exclusion adds to the midfielder’s recent woes and raises questions about his current standing both at club and international levels. Moreover, his position at United has been further complicated by the arrival of Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain. The Uruguayan midfielder, who joined the Red Devils in a £50.5 million deal (£42.3m/$55m), poses direct competition for Casemiro's starting spot in midfield and could potentially find himself on the bench more often this season after his latest stinker against Liverpool.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

  It is understood that Casemiro is not fazed by the competition as he backs his abilities to reclaim his place in the starting lineup. He is currently Manchester United’s highest-paid player, earning a reported £375,000 ($394,000) per week and it is unlikely that Galatasaray would be able to match these wages. The Red Devils were hoping to get a formal offer from one of the clubs in the Saudi Pro League but with the transfer window now closed, the prospect of Casemiro moving to the Middle East has dissipated.

After an excellent campaign last season, injuries have controlled the narrative for Newcastle United this time around, with Eddie Howe often left searching for makeshift options. And even as the season comes to a close, the Magpies' list of absentees has continued to grow as things go from bad to worse.

Newcastle injury news

It's only recently that Newcastle have found some kind of form again in the Premier League, with their unbeaten run of four games representing a solid end to the season. It's a run that Howe deserves great credit for, especially given the injury issues that his side has faced and are currently still facing. It's a list that will even still include Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman next season too, after both suffered recent ACL injuries.

The injury news hasn't come to an end recently either, with a fresh update sparking further concerns. According to reliable reporter Craig Hope of The Daily Mail, Joe Willock will now miss the rest of the season following Newcastle's decision to rest his Achilles knock which ruled him out for much of the campaign. Having returned from injury in February, there's no doubt that the former Arsenal man will be frustrated by the news.

Newcastle strong favourites to sign "outstanding" Dan Burn upgrade

He recently rejected a new contract at his current club.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 16, 2024

Frustration aside, you could say it's a wise decision by Newcastle. Willock already missed most of the current campaign and any further damage is simply not worth the risk. Instead, the midfielder's focus should be on getting fit for pre-season, before then enjoying it in full and potentially breaking into Howe's starting side once again. At his best, Willock has more than shown the difference he can make at St James' Park.

"Popular" Willock offers different element to Newcastle midfield

As solid as Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson have been this season and as excellent as Bruno Guimaraes is, Willock offers a crucial goalscoring threat from midfielders that others in Howe's squad lack. At his best, it's worth noting that the former Arsenal man managed eight goals in 11 games in an initial loan spell at St James' Park in the 2020/21 campaign. And if Howe can get Willock back to that level, then he'll have himself a real difference-maker.

Full of praise for the Englishman throughout his spell on the sidelines, Howe said via The Northern Echo back in March: "He's done really well with his rehab, he's really matured in certain aspects of his personality – which he's had to do to come back from the injury that he's had – and I think that's then shown in his play.

"He's got a unique mix to his game. He's got real good running capacity and pace in his game, but also he knows where the goal is. He's very popular in the dressing room. The players love playing with him."

That "unique mix" will have to wait until next season now, however, it seems in what could prove to be a large blow in Newcastle's pursuit of securing a Europa League place come May.

Cesar Huerta is one of Mexico's rising young stars and he is already looking ahead after a move to Liverpool fell through.

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• Huerta reveals he was close to joining Liverpool
• Winger says botched move won't affect him
• Huerta shined for Mexico during September

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  Close to joining Liverpool?

  ARLINGTON, Texas — With a brilliant smile, a carefully-kept beard, and the curls that give him the “Chino” nickname, it’s easy to see why César Huerta is quickly becoming one of Mexico’s most beloved players.

  On the field, the 23-year-old winger plays a style that draws supporters in even more, trying to pull off bold dribbles and always looking to score.

  His fan base and his career could’ve been supercharged this summer. Liverpool looked to sign the Pumas winger and loan him to Sunderland where they’d keep a close eye on his development. It’s the type of move any young player would look forward to, and Huerta was all set to move from Mexico City to North East England.

  “I had the suitcase packed, and it fell through for various reasons,” Huerta said Tuesday after Mexico’s scoreless draw with Canada.

  Despite the botched transfer, Huerta remained optimistic, though he acknowledged that the Liverpool move might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  “I’m 100 percent with Pumas, and I know that sooner or later if I keep doing things well, the opportunity will come for me," he said.

  “A lot of times it’s a train that only passes once, and right now I’m focused on Pumas. I come into the national team and try to do the best possible to help the team. Everything else I know will sort itself out soon.”

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• Ascension from Chivas to Pumas

  It’s quite the rise for Huerta, a Guadalajara native who couldn’t break through with hometown club Chivas after developing in their academy. Between his November 2018 debut and his departure in 2022, he spent most of his time on loan, either in the second division or playing with teams not contending for Liga MX playoff places.

  That changed when he went to Pumas in the summer of 2022. Huerta made a few cameos off the bench but quickly earned the confidence of manager Andres Lillini and only became more critical to the squad when Antonio Mohamed arrived as manager and built much of his attack around the craft winger with a curly mane.

  He announced his ascendancy as a star in December 2023, when he faced his former team in a Liguilla quarterfinal series. After putting Pumas up 2-1 on aggregate over Chivas, he revealed an undershirt that said “Remade in CU," the Ciudad Universitaria where Pumas play on the UNAM campus. It was a nod to then Mexico manager Jaime Lozano’s “Made in CU” shirt he wore in 2004 as Pumas charged to back-to-back titles.

  It was clear. Huerta wanted to be connected to the club’s long line of stars and felt he was a new man thanks to his move from Guadalajara to Pumas.

  Huerta fits into the canon of Pumas’ swaggering standouts that include Hugo Sanchez, Jorge Campos, and Cabinho. A confident dribbler, Huerta is happy to take players on, especially when he gets the ball played to his feet in wide areas. Comfortable in tight spaces as well, Huerta finishes well with both his dominant right foot and his left. Huerta has 15 league goals with Pumas.

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  Focused on 2026

  While it could throw off plenty of players, Huerta insists the Liverpool links and interest from other clubs won’t distract him from his goal of lifting a trophy with Pumas, securing a place with the Mexico national team and earning a move to a top European club.

  “Mentally I’m pushing ahead, knowing it’s not easy,” Huerta said. “I now know I have to work doubly hard to be able to make this dream I have come true.”

  Huerta made it clear he wants to be part of Javier Aguirre's squad when the 2026 World Cup takes. “It’s the dream of every player who comes and puts on the national team shirt,” he said.

  Huerta had a good first match of the September international window, coming in and scoring as a substitute against New Zealand in a 3-0 victory.

  That earned a start in Tuesday’s match against Canada, against a more physically imposing team with a backline full of players on the rise. Huerta was much more bottled up, though he did create a chance and put a shot on goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair’s goal, which was saved.

  “I try to be critical of myself,” Huerta said. “A lot of times a player knows when you’ve done well or didn’t do something. It was tough for Canada and tough for us to generate more chances. I think the game was really tough for both teams. That’s normal. All this is high-level, the elite, so we’ve got to keep getting better to generate those chances.”

  Should he continue to improve on those details, Huerta will do with El Tri what he did at Pumas: Become a more and more critical piece until he’s the star. It may earn a move abroad, where that hair and that smile will only serve to increase his growing swarm of fans.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR HUERTA?

  After returning from international duty, Huerta could be called upon when Pumas travel to Estadio Victoria to face Hollywood star-backed Club Necaxa on Sept. 13.

  Mexico return to action on Oct. 12 with a rare club vs. national team friendly against Valencia.

Celtic did not opt to splash the cash on any big-money signings to bolster Brendan Rodgers' squad when he returned to Glasgow last summer.

They spent moderately on a number of additions across the board, rather than going all-out on one or two names, and the £9m fee once paid for Odsonne Edouard from PSG remains the club-record signing.

The Hoops have not always had the best of luck in the transfer market when they have decided to open the purse strings to make a statement signing.

One big-money addition that turned out to be a waste of money was Brazilian centre-back Rafael Scheidt, who arrived at Parkhead in the summer of 1999.

How much Celtic paid for Rafael Scheidt

Management duo John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish opted to push the boat out to bring the Gremio star in for a reported fee of £5m ahead of the 1999/00 season.

He had been capped three times by Brazil at senior level earlier that year, which suggested that the central defender had been in fantastic form in his home country.

His performances for Gremio in the Serie A and the Libertadores had seemingly been good enough to earn him international recognition for one of the biggest footballing nations on the planet, as they had won the World Cup in 1994 and went on to win it in 2002.

It was later revealed that Dalglish had recommended the signing to Barnes after watching 'impressive' video footage of the colossus, whilst the former England international had never watched the player live before the deal was sanctioned.

This, on paper, was not a great start to his career with the Scottish giants as he had been signed by two coaches who had not seen him play extensively, which meant that they did not know the ins and outs of his style on the pitch, and that turned out to be a key mistake.

Rafael Scheidt's time with Celtic

The Brazil international turned out to be a nightmare signing for the Hoops and £5m, plus his undisclosed wages, that was wasted down the drain due to his lack of impact on the pitch.

Scheidt suffered from appendicitis before his debut for the club and was then hit with a serious knee injury after a collision with a teammate in training, which hampered his progress in Scotland.

Speaking to The Celtic Way in 2022, the defender revealed that he did not "like" the style of Scottish football, due to the overuse of long balls and physicality, and a lack of touches on the ball for him in matches.

Martin O'Neill came in after his spells with Barnes and Dalglish and Scheidt revealed that the manager told him to change his style of play or he would not play for Celtic, and added that the boss claimed the centre-back was not good enough for Scottish football – a claim he refutes.

The Brazilian titan was then sent out on loan to Corinthians, Atlético-MG, and Botafogo over multiple seasons before leaving Parkhead on a free transfer in the summer of 2004.

Therefore, Celtic had a nightmare with the £5m signing as they wasted that money down the drain on a player the coaches had not seen live, who then went on to struggle with the style of Scottish football – which could have been predicted had they spent more time watching him in the flesh – before leaving for nothing.

Reece James will take some more time before staging a comeback from his hamstring injury that he suffered during pre-season.

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• James' comeback delayed
• Still needs to time to fully recover
• Suffered another hamstring injury in pre-season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chelsea skipper has been plagued with hamstring problems for the past couple of seasons and he most recently underwent surgery in December 2023. After spending the majority of the 2023/24 campaign on the sidelines, it was expected that the full-back would return fit and raring to go in the new season, however, he suffered yet another knock just days before the 2024/25 Premier League campaign kicked off.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Last month, James gave an encouraging update on his condition as he posted a photograph on Instagram of himself running on the training pitch. However, The Sun now reports that the Blues' medical team have put the defender's comeback on hold. While the player did not suffer any fresh injuries, the medics are not fully satisfied with his recovery and are not willing to rush him back.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 24-year-old has missed 82 of Chelsea's 194 Premier League games since making his debut for the club in 2019. He started just five league matches last season and has had no fewer than six hamstring injuries across the past five years.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  While the skipper continues to recover from his hamstring problem, Enzo Maresca's side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on West Ham in a league fixture.

Chelsea have held talks over signing a forward who has been likened to Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Jr "this week", and apparently he wants to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

Stewart and Winstanley making Chelsea transfer plans

As per reliable journalist Matt Law, writing an update for The Telegraph, Chelsea's co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are safe from the axe as chairman Todd Boehly looks set to oversee the club's end-of-season review next week.

£35 million forward has now played his last game for Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel was a big fan.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 16, 2024

The former Brighton chiefs faced criticism at points over 2023/2024 for their overhauling of Chelsea's squad last summer, which saw the average age of Mauricio Pochettino's squad drastically drop.

The lack of experience and senior figures in Pochettino's team was often pinpointed as a reason for their poor form earlier in the campaign, but results have taken a positive turn lately with Chelsea now on the verge of European qualification.

Stewart and Winstanley are therefore set to lead Chelsea's transfer strategy again when the window reopens for business on June 14, and it is believed the west Londoners are keen to sign a striker, left-back and central defender (Matt Law).

The most blockbuster name on their agenda, according to various reports, is Napoli star Victor Osimhen. It is believed Chelsea recruitment chiefs think Osimhen is the "perfect" frontman, with the Nigerian also favouring a move there.

In defence, depending on whether they decide to stick with their head coach beyond this season, there are rumours that Pochettino wants Chelsea to replace Thiago Silva with Barcelona's Ronald Araujo.

Since Clearlake Capital's takeover in 2022, a reoccurring theme of Chelsea's incomings has been their young age. The club have signed a long list of players under or exactly the age of 23, and widespread reports indicate they could soon add Palmeiras starlet Estevao Willian as well.

Chelsea hold talks over signing Estevao Willian "this week"

According to journalist Rahman Osman, Chelsea have held talks over signing Estevao "this week", and it remains the case that the ace with a £52 million release clause wants to join Pochettino's side after verbally agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano).

The 17-year-old has attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid as well as Chelsea, with Estevao praised as bearing a resemblance in playing style to one of their key stars, Vinicus Jr.

"Estevao is one of those players who has the talent to fit into any major league in the world," said Brazilian football expert Guilherme Goya to football.london.

"Initially, I see La Liga as a more favoured league for him, which would allow him more space to develop his game through dribbling and deep passing. I see similarities to the Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo.

"The Palmeiras wonderkid is also fully capable of enduring intense games like those in the Premier League. He knows how to play in offensive transition and has the ability to overcome opponents in a short space, getting these characteristics from futsal. Possessing awareness of the game allows him to adapt when it comes to individual plays but he also has a good pass to help in collective construction."