"He's a spectacle, the next Ballon d'Or" - Agent claims Arsenal and Barcelona target is similar player to Lionel Messi
Agent Andre Cury has said that Arsenal and Barcelona target Estevao Willian is similar to Lionel Messi. The 16-year-old Brazilian plays for Palmeiras.
Barca have already secured the signature of one young player - Vitor Roque. However, Cury said that he has another Brazilian starlet for Barca in Willian, telling El Larguero:
“We have another bomb for the club. He’s called Estevao Willian."
Cury previously told RAC1 about Eestevao Willian, proclaiming him to be the next Ballon d'Or winner:
“He is a player similar to (Lionel) Messi, He is a super talent, born in 2007. He is a spectacle, the next Ballon d’Or. But there have been no contacts between clubs to sign him.”
Barcelona sporting director Deco is reportedly keeping tabs on the player to add him to the club's ranks. Willian, meanwhile, told MD about his admiration for Messi:
“I really like Messi, who is a great player for me, and I hope I can follow his example."
Barca are not the top European club who have set their sights on Estevao Willian. Apart from them, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also linked with the teenager.
What former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said about Lionel Messi's MLS move?
Lionel Messi has been announced as an Inter Miami player. He joins the MLS club as a free agent after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired on June 30.
Messi, though, was heavily linked with a return to Barcelona, a move that didn't materialise eventually. His former teammate Andres Iniesta has now shared his thoughts about the transfer:
“It would have been nice, special for what it means, but in the end, everyone looks for the best option, what they think will be good for them and, from there, they will probably live a different experience to what they have lived before."
He added:
“If it’s what he was looking forward to and what he wanted, I’m sure it will go well, as it did well in all the places he’s been."
Lionel Messi, though, will have former Barca teammate Sergio Busquets by his side at Inter Miami. Former Blaugrana coach Gerardo Martino was recently appointed as the new manager of the MLS club.