Arsenal fall behind Premier League rivals in transfer race for Brazilian wonderkid Gustavinho as £18m bid is prepared
MANCHESTER CITY look set to swoop on the freshest talent coming out of Gremio — the Brazilian club that brought ex-Barcelona star Ronaldinho to the attention of the world.
City are positioning themselves ahead of Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal in the race to sign 18-year-old attacking midfielder Gustavo Nunes.
Gustavinho, as Gremio fans have dubbed him, only made his senior debut in February after impressing for the Porto Alegre club’s youth team at the prestigious Copa Sao Paulo de Juniores.
He scored three goals during Gremio’s run to the last 16 of that competition and instantly caught the eye of five English clubs.
Reports in Brazil claim Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norwich City, alongside the Premier League’s top three, have also enquired about the teenager.
Gremio are not ready to part with their young revelation, who recently renewed his contract until the end of 2028.
But GZH Portal states the player’s agents have been informed that City will submit an offer of £18m for Gustavinho as soon as the summer transfer window opens.
Gremio, who own 70% of his economic rights, are looking for a higher fee and may wait to see if any other European clubs are ready to rival City’s interest.
The Manchester club, who have established a network of clubs across South America that includes Brazilian top-flight outfit Bahia, have increasingly been targeting talent in the region.
Last January they snapped up Argentine playmaker Claudio Etcheverri from River Plate, the club they raided for Julian Alvarez in 2022.
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How Arteta made Arsenal horrible again, with Tony Pulis tactic and gentle star turned into Diego Costa-style hate figure
By Dave Kidd
BOTTLERS, chokers, shandy-drinking southern softies.
These were the charges levelled at Arsenal when they blew the title last season.
And even if the actual reason they failed was because William Saliba got injured and Rob Holding had to start, Mikel Arteta clearly took those accusations to heart.
If his team are not crowned champions next month, the Gunners boss has categorically ensured that they won’t go down being accused of nicey-niceyness.
Because, as well as being thrillingly entertaining and free-scoring when they want to be, this season’s Arsenal are also thoroughly horrible.
They are not here to make friends. They are not interested in being anybody’s second-favourite team.
And so, six days after stink-bombing the Etihad with a display of Mourinho-esque anti-football for a 0-0 draw, Arsenal turned up at the home of former bogey-team Brighton and s***housed their way to a thoroughly impressive 3-0 win.
How wonderful for the travelling Gooners to witness Ben White — against his former club — going down as if he’d taken a bullet to his neck when Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan brushed against him.
White is renowned as a gentle and decent bloke, intelligent enough to challenge the zeitgeist and claim there might be things in life other than football.
And yet suddenly he’s become some Diego Costa-style anti-hero hate figure, his wife goading the masses by posting social-media pictures of them playing a childish card game on a sun lounger after he’d refused an international call-up.
Because Arsenal are horrible again. Even Ben White is a villain.
And that might just be Arteta’s greatest triumph.
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That same year City Football Group agreed a deal to sign winger Savinho from Atletico Mineiro for £5m up front and a similar amount in variables.
Within 18 months, the 20-year-old has quadrupled in value and will become the newest Brazilian addition to Pep Guardiola‘s squad later this year.
City chiefs will have a similar progression plan in place for Gustavinho, who will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Gremio greats Ronaldinho and ex-Manchester United midfielder Anderson to a glorious career in Europe.