One of Manchester City’s Premier League competitors have taken a shine to PEC Zwolle midfield wonderkid Jadiel Pereira da Gama and plan to raid his potential transfer to the Etihad Stadium, as per a...
One of Manchester City’s Premier League competitors have taken a shine to PEC Zwolle midfield wonderkid Jadiel Pereira da Gama and plan to raid his potential transfer to the Etihad Stadium, as per a new report.
The 15-year-old, who is also wanted by two other Premier League clubs, has proven to be a special talent and is already experiencing first-team football in the Dutch top-flight – which is always a good sign for future stars of the game.
In August, the defensive midfielder recently became the youngest-ever debutant in the Eredivisie, breaking the previous record by 47 days. The imposing 6ft star is a key part of PEC Zwolle’s squad in the Netherlands.
His talent has sparked the interest of Hugo Viana and co as the City sporting director’s target list expands for both the short and longer term, but a recent discovery has thrown his move to the Etihad Stadium in doubt.
Da Gama, who has turned out seven times for the Netherlands U16 National Team, has attracted the interest of many major European clubs across Europe, though a large share of suitors are based in England.
As revealed by TEAMtalk, sources with knowledge of the situation claim that Chelsea are also monitoring the midfielder closely and plan to raid a possible deal with Manchester City to acquire the teenager in the earliest stages of his career.
It is a certainty that the City Football Group (CFG) and BlueCo are leading the chase for the Dutch sensation, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, whose youth recruitment is rated amongst the best in Europe.
Zwolle could lose Pereira da Gama to an English side over the next couple of transfer windows but the teenager would not be able to move across the Channel until January 2028 at least – due to eligibility and age restrictions.
This season, Guardiola has only been able to call upon Nico Gonzalez as a native option in holding midfield due to Rodri’s recurring injuries – the latter forcing him out since October, while Kalvin Phillips is out of favour.
Those absences have cost Manchester City in more ways than one on few occasions this season and it’s often been a case of playing Tijjani Reijnders or Bernardo Silva in a deeper, more transitional role. Furthermore, age is a factor that doesn’t look pretty for City’s future either.
In fact, Gonzalez is the youngest and only defensive midfielder currently available in the Manchester City first-team squad to be under 29 years of age, which begs the question as to whether or not the Premier League side are truly prepared for the future.
Signing Pereira da Gama, whose positional awareness, technical skill and physicality all play a major role in his towering potential, would inevitably bolster the hope for a successful future but understandably, it is unlikely that he would make a senior appearance for Guardiola’s side for a long time due to varying restrictions.
Category: General Sports
