Liverpool monitoring Santos starlet Angelo Gabriel
By Tom Gott
Liverpool have joined Real Madrid in monitoring the progress of Santos winger Angelo Gabriel ahead of a potential summer bid.
Angelo was just 15 when he was handed his first-team debut for Santos in October in a 3-1 defeat to Fluminense, becoming the second-youngest player to ever turn out for the club - even younger than Pele.
Understandably, that kind of hype has attracted suitors. According to Sport Witness, both Liverpool and Real have made it clear that they would be interested in striking a deal for the teenager soon, before his stock rises too high.
It's brought back memories of both sides' pursuits of Rodrygo back in 2018. The winger was 16 when he made his debut and completed a £40m move to the Santiago Bernabeu 12 months later, and Liverpool are said to be keen not to miss out this time around.
Angelo penned his first professional deal in December 2020 and remains under contract until the end of 2023, so Santos are in no rush to offload the teenager and may therefore demand a pretty hefty figure.
The 16-year-old has a release clause of over £50m in his contract, and Santos have a history of forcing suitors to meet their demands.
It's quite hard to see either team shelling out £50m this summer on a 16-year-old who wouldn't even be allowed to play for them for a few years. Money isn't exactly unlimited these days, so taking those kinds of risk would be bold.
Having said that, there's no denying the kind of excitement Angelo has generated. He was playing for Santos' Under-20s when he was just 15, and whenever you beat a record set by Pele, people sit up and take note.
To add to the fun, Angelo became the youngest Santos player to appear in the Copa Libertadores when he turned out against Deportivo Lara earlier in March - surpassing Rodrygo's benchmark by nearly an entire year.
Angelo was one of Santos' best players in the 2-1 victory, and although he didn't get on the score sheet, he was responsible for setting up most of his side's best chances and made a real impact on the game.