Report: Wolves now battling Everton and Barcelona for £25m wonderkid

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Wolverhampton Wanderers have joined Barcelona and Everton in the race to sign £25 million-rated Vasco da Gama starlet Andrey Santos, according to Vasco Noticias. 

£25 million for a teenage midfielder with a handful senior appearances under his belt? That’s one hell of a risky move, though Wolves have taken a punt in the recent past on unproven youngsters with plenty of potential. 

17-year-old Andrey Santos has played just five games for Vasco da Gama. Fabio Silva, however, had just 12 first-team outings under his belt before he joined Wolves for a staggering £35 million. Pedro Neto, meanwhile, joined from Lazio on the back of three Serie A outings in the summer of 2019. 

Wolves have form, then, when it comes to spending substantial sums on up-and-coming talents a la Santos. According to Vasco Noticias, the Black Country giants have made an enquiry for the Brazil U16 international.

As have Benfica, Monaco and AC Milan. UOL, meanwhile, reports that Santos also has admirers at Everton and Barcelona. 

And though he has a £25 million release clause in his contract, a deal could be agreed for far less than that. Vasco da Gama president Jorge Salgado admits that up to £10 million must be raised via player sales. And, with his contract expiring in August 2023, Santos could be available for as little as £5 million. 

Is Andrey Santos Brazil’s next midfield star?

The Brazilian transfer window closes later today. Don’t expect Santos to be on the move before Tuesday’s deadline.

But the teenager, an all-action yet aesthetically-pleasing central midfielder who loves to throw himself into tackles while wreaking havoc with his swashbuckling skills in the final third, will be up to his eyeballs in offers as he enters the final 12 months of his contract. 

“Some players manage to overcome objectives and obstacles in their age group. Andrey is one of those players,” Vasco da Gama coach Ze Ricardo said recently.

“And this is happening very naturally. He is still 17 years old and has already been called up to the U20 Brazilian national Team.

“(It is) impressive how he performs in training, how he receives the information. He will be a player with a great future for Vasco and for Brazilian football.”