February 19, (THEWILL) – Manchester City are planning another trip to South America, and are currently in talks with Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro about young players Savinho and Yan Phillipe.
Over the previous few years, City has actively recruited in South America, with almost a dozen of its academy players hailing from the continent.
THEWILL recalls that City signed Julian Alvarez, a 22-year-old midfielder from River Plate, in January and he is expected to be in Manchester this summer. They are now returning to South America in search of agreements for striker Savinho and midfielder Phillipe.
City is close to completing deals for the two 17-year-olds. The Premier League champions are expected to spend little under £5 million for Savinho, according to reports. There is also a loan deal with Dutch heavyweights PSV Eindhoven for the player, which has already been signed in principle.
Meanwhile, talks over midfielder Phillipe, widely regarded as one of Brazil’s top young talents, are still ongoing. Last year, City contacted the current Brazilian champions and are now aiming to sign him and Savinho to a deal.
Brazil has been a popular recruiting destination for City in recent years, with players such as Kayky, Yan Couto, and Diego Rosa all coming through their academy system.
After acquiring Uruguayan side Club Atletico Torque in 2017 and renaming it Montevideo City Torque, the City Football Group now has a permanent presence in South America.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
