After signing Vitor Roque from Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense, Barcelona have set their sights on another prodigy from the South American nation in the form of Estevao Willian.
Just 16 years old, the Palmeiras wonderkid is heralded as the next big thing coming through in Brazilian football and has a host of top clubs across Europe already chasing his signing.
The likes of Chelsea and PSG have already made approaches in the past while Barcelona have also been keeping a close watch on his situation.
Barcelona have made great progress in Estevao pursuit
In fact, as per Fabrizio Romano on his Kick channel, Barcelona have made excellent progress with Estevao and his entourage, so much so that the teenage whizkid sees the Catalan club as his favoured destination.
It must be remembered that Estevao has already come out and declared publicly in the past that he dreams of playing for Barcelona.
And it appears that Barça have been laying the groundwork to acquire his services in the future, when he turns 18, with great progress being made to convince him and his entourage.
Furthermore, the Blaugrana also have an excellent relationship with Estevao’s agent Andre Cury, who recently urged the club to sign him and tipped him to become the ‘new Neymar’.
€60 million release clause could be an issue
While things are going well as far as cultivating a good relationship with Estevao and his camp, Barcelona could face problems in negotiations with Palmeiras.
It is primarily because the 16-year-old wonderkid has a contract with the Brazilian outfit that runs until December 31, 2026 and includes a release clause worth €60 million.
Considering the current financial situation at Barça, reaching that figure directly could be an issue, although they could try and meet that valuation based on certain add-ons and variables.
