Santos president Andres Rueda has confirmed that Kaio Jorge wants to leave and can join a European club for free – amid reports linking the ‘new Neymar’ with Premier League duo Arsenal and Wolves – while speaking to ESPN.
If the 19-year-old Samba starlet had agreed to sign a new contract at Santos, one of the biggest clubs in Brazilian football would have had a substantial cash windfall heading their way.
Il Romanista reported back in March, when Jorge was being linked with the likes of Arsenal, Napoli and Lazio, that the highly-rated centre-forward was valued in the region of £18 million (Calciomercato).
Three months on, with his contract expiring in January 2022, Santos are now powerless to stop their most exciting academy graduate since Neymar and his gravity-defying mohican were taking Brazilian football by storm leaving for absolutely nothing.
“He could only go abroad free of charge,” Rueda said of Jorge, who can now put pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement with a club on the other side of the Atlantic.
“The player’s desire to go to Europe in this window is well known. It is his family’s will.
“No concrete offer has arrived. I can only respond if an offer arrives. I have been talking to him, his family and his agent since January.”
Will Arsenal or Wolves win the race for Kaio Jorge?
According to A Bola, Wolves made a £13 million bid for Jorge recently with the teenager, who has been compared to Andriy Shevchenko as well as Neymar, potentially a good fit for Bruno Lage at Molineux.
Lage famously led a youthful Benfica side inspired by a hitherto unknown Joao Felix to Primeira Liga glory in 2019.
But, as Rueda points out, Jorge would rather leave Santos now than wait around until January.
It remains to be seen, however, if Arsenal or Wolves are really going to pay £18 million for a player who will be available for free in just a few months.
“He doesn’t want to leave for free at the end of the year,” the president added. “If he doesn’t, we’ll definitely sit down to renew (his contract).”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
