Barcelona set to miss out on Brazilian talent dubbed the ‘new Marcelo’ – report

FC Barcelona are close to losing out on another Brazilian prospect, as happened last summer with Estevao, who signed for Chelsea.

Indeed, according to AS, the Blaugrana are set to miss out on the potential signing of Santos left-back Joao Victor de Souza, as AC Milan have submitted an initial offer for the youngster.

The Rossoneri’s proposal is said to be valued at just under €10 million, including fixed amounts and bonuses.

For now, Santos do not wish to discuss the departure of their young talent, but interest from other clubs continues to grow.

The ‘new Marcelo’

Dubbed the ‘new Marcelo’ in Brazil, Souza has been on Barcelona’s radar for some time now, with the club impressed by his potential and promise.

However, Milan have closely followed the development of the left-back throughout the season. He is one of the preferred options on the list of targets drawn up by Geoffrey Moncada, sporting director of the Rossoneri.

Santos, for their part, are firm in their stance. If negotiations take place, they will not accept less than €12 million.

Barcelona set to miss out on Souza. (Photo by Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images)

Souza has enjoyed a very strong season and was one of the key players in helping the team avoid relegation, particularly in the closing matches.

In Brazil, he is already being viewed as the natural heir to Marcelo in the national team. Not without reason, Santos moved quickly to renew his contract until December 2028 just a few months ago.

Barcelona overtaken

Barcelona were among the first clubs to show interest in his situation. Santos even proposed using the player as part of a deal to settle the debt arising from the so-called ‘Gabigol case’.

The Blaugrana held a preferential right on the forward and failed to notify Santos when he was sold to Inter Milan. That operation would have covered almost €3 million owed by the Brazilian outfit to Barça emanating from the Neymar case.

However, due to Souza’s rapid rise, several clubs have now moved ahead of Barcelona. In short, a clear overtake looking ahead to 2026.

Sources close to the situation indicate that BlueCo, owners of Chelsea, are considering making an offer, with a possible move to Strasbourg in mind.

Alongside them, Bayern Munich and several Saudi Arabian clubs have also enquired about his availability. For now, Milan are leading the race and Barcelona seem out of the picture.