Juventus eyeing move for Santos wonderkid - Reports
According to Il Bianconeri, Juventus are eyeing a summer move for Santos teenage sensation Kaio Jorge.
The teenage Santos striker burst onto the scene after a series of eye-catching performances in the Brazil Seria A. His sensational outings have now attracted interest from a number of clubs across Europe, who are looking to snap up one of the hottest prospects out of Brazil.
Italian champions Juventus are one of many clubs closely monitoring Jorge, with reports claiming that the Binconeri want to pair the 19-year-old Brazilain with Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.
Juventus have had a long-standing interest in Jorge and have been monitoring his situation for several months. However, with Serie A rivals AS Roma now interested in the Santos man, they have stepped up their efforts to secure the player's signature.
Jorge’s contract with Santos expires in December and Juventus are confident of snapping up the youngster in the summer.
Santos looking to tie down Kaio Jorge to a new contract amid interest from Juventus
Amid heavy interest from Juventus, Santos are now looking to extends Jorge’s contract to keep him at the Urbano Caldeira for the foreseeable future. However, club president Andres Rueda has admitted that while Santos are looking to reach an agreement, the striker’s contract situation is “complicated”.
Speaking to Baixada Esporte last month, via ESPN, Rueda said:
“Kaio's situation is also complicated, a cucumber for us to peel. It is three or four months from that period that he [Jorge] can sign a pre-contract with another team and leave for free, leaving nothing for Santos."
“The biggest goal is not to lose a player that the club has invested, believed in, and given free space to. It is our priority. Once the contract is renewed, we have to see why the player is very targeted in Europe," added Rueda.
Fresh reports out of Brazil, via UOL, claim progress is being made regarding a potential contract extension during the ongoing talks between Jorge’s representatives and Santos.