Top 5 current domestic Brazilian youngsters who could be the next Neymar
Scouts from every major European club spend countless hours watching the Brazilian domestic game, desperate to beat their rivals to the next Neymar Jr. That being said, this slideshow considers some of the up and coming young stars currently playing in Brazil, who could potentially be the next big thing in world football.
Without further ado, here's a look at the top 5:
#5 Paulinho
Age: 17
Position: Forward
Club: Vasco da Gama
Speaking of a different Paulinho to the one pictured, when the ex-Tottenham man made a shock transfer to Barcelona at the beginning of the season, many Brazilian journalists mused that Barcelona had maybe bought the wrong Paulinho.
With Vinicius Junior putting pen to paper with Real Madrid for close to €45 million, another equally promising player (and potentially more so in many Brazilian quarters) is Paulinho of Vasco da Gama.
With an intricate passing ability, and great close control, Kaka comparisons have begun to follow him and just like Kaka, he looks set for a European transfer sooner in his career rather than later.
Vasco will be keen to cash in on the youngster, with the club not in great financial standing, and FC Porto are touted to be the first major club in Europe that seem most likely to force through a deal soon.