According to a report in the paper edition of AS via Sport Witness, Man City are ‘closely‘ monitoring the progress of 19-year-old prodigy Thiago Almada along with Atletico Madrid as the two clubs look set to battle it out for the teenager.
Almada, who has scored four goals and managed one assist this season for Club Atletico Velez Sarsfield in South America, is currently on the radar of both the Sky Blues and Los Rojiblancos as the two clubs search for the next generation of young talent.
The attacking midfielder has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium since early 2019, with a report from the Sun claiming we had already sealed a £20 million deal for the player last April.
Almada, since making his debut for Sarsfield in 2018, has racked up nine goals and four assists over 46 appearances for the club according to Transfermarkt – drawing the attention of City and Atletico as they keep tabs on a player with a reportedly stellar reputation.
This past exclusive from the Sun claims that Almada has been dubbed the ‘new Messi‘ in his native Argentina, with his allegedly ‘explosive’ and ‘clever’ skills forcing football fans from his home country to sit down and take notice.
Should City swoop for Almada as a future Silva replacement?
Yes, especially if he is dubbed 'the new Messi'
No, we have Phil Foden for that
Experts also think he could be the ‘real deal’ as City reignite their interest in bringing the player to Eastlands, especially with club legend David Silva looking set to depart at the end of the season.
Given his reputation, and the currently unpredictable state of the transfer market due to recent events, a swoop for the teenager could be considered prudent.