Manchester City at the centre of transfer battle for Barcelona SC Guayaquil forward

A host of high-profile European clubs are battling it out for the signature of Barcelona SC Guayaquil forward Allen Obando, according to reports.

It comes as no surprise to see Manchester City and the City Football Group linked with some of the finest emerging talents across the globe, with talents scouts from across the portfolio attentive to rising names.

In recent weeks, Manchester City have been heavily linked to names from South America, specifically the likes of Boca Juniors left-back Valentin Barco and River Plate’s Claudio Echeverri.

Now, with the latter seemingly a done deal according to various reports and remaining in South America until the winter of 2024, Manchester City could turn their attentions elsewhere on the continent.

According to the information of French newspaper L’Equipe, as translated and relayed by Get French Football News, AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City could all ‘battle it out’ to sign Ecuadorian forward Allen Obando.

The 17-year-old Barcelona SC Guayaquil starlet has already made his professional debut, while his performances for the Ecuador under-17 side have caught the eyes of recruiters after six goals scored in just 14 matches.

While Manchester City will always hope to progress names to the City Football Academy in Manchester, or into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad, development within the City Football Group is imperative to their ongoing success.

Girona’s rise in La Liga makes the Spanish giants a primary destination for some of City’s most highly-rated names, with Brazilian international right-back Yan Couto currently excelling for the side who are battling it out at the top of the division.

Fellow Brazil starlet Savinho could also be another name that appears on the radar of Manchester City coaching staff, following his starring roles in La Liga victories for Girona, spending time in Spain on-loan from fellow City Group side ESTAC Troyes.