Manchester City ‘check on the status’ of exciting Brazilian talent – Manchester United and Liverpool among competitors

Premier League champions Manchester City are set to continue their pursuit of recruitment some of the most exciting young talents in the country, according to a new report.

Alongside their parent company – the City Football Group – the English top-flight giants have shown a tendency to recruit promising teenagers from across the globe, to develop their skills within the vast network of clubs within their portfolio.

Following the successful pursuit of players from Brazil in recent months, a new report now suggests that Manchester City officials are taking their latest search much closer to him – and into the EFL Championship.

This is according to the information of journalist Ekrem Konur, who reports that Manchester City will ‘check on the status’ of Preston North End’s 16-year-old attacking talent, Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile.

Just days prior, it had been reported that a number of other Premier League giants were also keeping a close eye on the rising Brazilian starlet.

It has been claimed that all of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea’s scouts have already been following the development of the teenager – suggesting that Manchester City will not have things all their own way, should they decide to pursue any deal.

One potential stumbling block for any potential suitor is that Rodriguez-Gentile has already agreed a deal to become a scholar at Deepdale in the summer, sealing his future with the Lancashire club for the next two years.

Despite being just 16 years of age, the Brazilian forward has made an occasional appearance for Preston’s under-19s in league action.

However, the youngster was given the nod to start at Deepdale against Rotherham United earlier this month, taking the golden opportunity by scoring a hat-trick before half-time, and going on to add another two goals in the second half.