Gremio have confirmed a ’proposal’ from Brentford for full-back Vanderson with the Premier league newcomers expected to beat Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur to his signature, as reported by Gremistas.
The 20-year-old wideman may not be a household name on English shores but, make no mistake, this is a real coup for Thomas Frank’s Brentford.
Vanderson was linked with Arsenal and AC Milan over the summer.
According to reports from Brazil, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham and a Saudi-backed Newcastle recently made approaches of their own too.
Brentford appear to have won the race, however, paying up to £12 million to secure Vanderson’s signature.
Now, if you’d told Bees supporters when they were a third-tier club back in 2013/14 that they would be fighting off competition from Tottenham, Arsenal and AC Milan to sign a £12 million Brazilian less than ten years later… well, let’s just say their response probably wouldn’t be printable in a family publication.
Is Gremio’s Vanderson about to sign for Brentford?
“We received a proposal, which is being discussed with the club and its manager,” explains Dennis Abraham, Gremio’s Vice President, when asked about Brentford’s approach.
“We are waiting for them to define the deal.”
According to 90Min, Brentford have ‘all-but completed’ a deal that will see Vanderson, who has a £86 million release clause in his contract, become the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history, just behind former Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Now Newcastle may be the richest football club on planet earth but it seems that money only takes you so far.
The Magpies are facing an uphill battle as they look to lure Ben Mee and James Tarkowski away from relegation rivals Burnley.
Links with Stefan de Vrij, Marcelo Brozovic and Ousmane Dembele, meanwhile, feel about as likely as Alan Shearer professing his love for all things Sunderland.
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