Manchester City set to sign Brazilian wonderkid rated as ‘The Next Roberto Carlos’ Brazilian officials in England to finalise a deal with City for Abner… Manchester City look close to completing a deal for 17-year-old Cortiba left-back Abner, although Benfica are also heavily interested, reports Goal. The Brazilian wonderkid is being touted by many as ‘The Next Roberto Carlos’, as his bombing runs up the left flank and powerful shot has drawn comparisons to the ex-Real Madrid legend. Coritiba’s sporting director Felipe Ximenes travelled to England last week to negotiate a deal with the Premier League title hopefuls, and talks are said to have gone smoothly. Abner starred in the South American Under-17 Championship for Brazil, and Cortiba are ready to cash in on the youngster because of their financial difficulties. City face heavy competition from Portuguese side Benfica for Abner’s signature, with the Europa League runners up ready to shell out £4.3m on the prodigal left-back. Benfica may be a more attractive option for Abner, because of the language, the climate and the increased chances of first-team football. Benfica have a strong record of developing South American talent, whereas City have failed to bring through any acamdey players into the first-team for a number of seasons. Furthermore, any deal would be subject to Abner being granted a work permit – which would be difficult to obtain because of his age and lack of international experience.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:45:59 +0000
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