Vinicius Souza of Flamengo celebrates after the final match of the 2019 Copa Libertadores match against River Plate at the Estadio Monumental on November 23, 2019 in Lima, Peru. (Getty Images)
According to Hora (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester City had made a bid of around £3.5million for Flamengo prodigy Vinicius Souza.
However, no move materialised for the 21-year-old defensive midfielder as the offer was vetoed by Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus. Souza, who joined Flamengo as a 13-year-old made his first-team breakthrough last season, making three appearances for them in the league.
Souza’s start to life in the Flamengo first team has been a huge success as the Brazilian side lifted the Copa Libertadores, Supercopa do Brasil, and Recopa Sudamericana last season.
Touted as a future potential, veteran manager Jesus believes that Souza could play a key role in Flamengo’s attempt to defend their title next season. Having displayed his potential as a promising youngster in his maiden season with Flamengo, it is no big surprise Manchester City have now shown an interest in him.
Pep Guardiola’s side, meanwhile, have fallen behind European champions Liverpool this season, majorly due to a weak defence. The defending champions conceded 31 goals from 30 league games, putting them out of title contention.
A massive 25 points separate both sides now and City clearly needs to bolster their defence if they wish to get back to the top. The departure of former skipper Vincent Kompany last summer has hurt the side badly as City struggled to find a proper replacement for their star defender.
Moreover, the poor form of centre-backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones saw coach Guardiola having to rely on veteran midfielder Fernandinho to take on the defensive duties this season. A defensive midfielder by trade, Fernandinho has mostly played out of position, featuring as a centre-back 24 times in the league this term.
This saw newcomer Rodri play in Fernandinho’s position, making 27 appearances in the league for City. Though Rodri has excelled in his role, keeping 10 clean sheets, he is only 23 and needs to play more to emulate Fernandinho’s achievements at the Etihad.
Meanwhile, Fernandinho turned 35 last month and is clearly nearing the end of his career. Apart from Fernandinho and Rodri, City do not have any other defensive midfielder in their ranks. That said, City could really do with a rising talent like Souza.
Also, his arrival can give Rodri competition for a starting place in the side. This, in turn, will help City. Hence, they should revive their interest in the young Brazilian and lure him to the Etihad with a better offer as he could prove to be an excellent investment for the future.
First of all, it’s crystal clear that Manchester City lack depth in the defensive midfield role and Souza’s arrival will only make them stronger. Also, he is just 21 and could develop into a world-class midfielder under the guidance of a top coach like Guardiola, A rising talent, he could prove to be an excellent signing for City if both parties can come to an agreement.
