Reported Arsenal target Kaio Jorge could leave Santos for free with his contract expiring later this year, president Andres Rueda has said in quotes reported by ESPN.
Whenever an exciting young talent explodes on to the scene in Brazil, it doesn’t take long before he’s compared to some of the greatest footballers in the country’s illustrious history.
So Kaio Jorge’s “new Ronaldo” nickname took no-one by surprise – even if the Santos wonderkid grew up watching Neymar instead.
It is eight years since a 21-year-old Neymar swapped Santos for Barcelona in a deal worth £49 million.
And while it seems only a matter of time before Jorge too is linking up with one of Europe’s biggest clubs, Santos won’t be able to console themselves with a substantial cash windfall this time around.
The South American giants are struggling to tie Jorge down to a new, long-term deal with his current contract expiring in December – much to the frustration of the club’s president.
“Kaio’s situation is complicated. He is three or four months away from entering the period when he can sign a pre-contract with another team and leave for free, leaving nothing for Santos,” Rueda explains.
“We have been negotiating for more than a month. The biggest goal is not to sell. It is not to lose a player the club has invested in, believed in and given free space to develop.
“(Keeping him) is our priority.”
According to Calciomercato, Premier League giants Arsenal are looking to add another exciting samba starlet to their ranks, two years after raiding Ituano for a little-known teenager by the name of Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal have reportedly made contact with Jorge’s agent, Giuliano Bertolucci.
Ajax, Chelsea, Lyon and Shakhtar Donetsk have also expressed their interest, as have a Marseille side that recently appointed Jorge’s former Santos boss, Jorge Sampaoli, as a replacement for Andre Villas-Boas.
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