Premier League sides have reportedly sent their top scouts to watch the talents at the Belo Horizonte Cup.
The tournament is set to begin this week so top sides want to take advantage since it has proved to be a goldmine for talents.
The tournament is a grassroots competition for under 17 rising stars in Brazil. It is known to pull scouts who get to see the next generation playing the game passionately. Brazilian new source O Tempo claims that Manchester United, Man City and Arsenal have scouts billed to attend the event.
The man City are sending is the one that helped Gabriel Jesus to the Etihad last summer. City paid £27 million for the player but he resumed in January 2017. The youngster is already building an impressive profile in the English top flight already.
Top football stars like Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Neymar also partook in the BH Cup in the past. Flamengo star Vinicius Junior was one of the stars of last year’s tournament. His fine displays earned him a record move to Champions League champs Real Madrid.
These days top Brazilian clubs are keen to fight for the best players, and then help them develop before selling them to European side at a fortune. The foreign clubs would have to work with them or challenge them to get the players they want.
Cruzeiro director Eduardo Freeland said it is good that the local clubs have structured catchment departments that can identify these players and retain them. He says clubs nowadays are no longer open to losing the best youngsters to other countries and that it helps the players not to lose themselves when they travel out.