Manchester City sign “one of the most exciting young prospects in world football” to push Pep Guardiola’s spending towards £100m mark
Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain insists the two-time Premier League champions have signed one of the world’s principal talents after concluding the £27m capture of teenage forward Gabriel Jesus.
The 19-year-old, who has scored 19 goals in 30 appearances for Brazilian outfit Palmeiras this season, will make the move to City in January on a contract which runs until the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
Jesus’s signing nudges City’s close season spending towards the £100m mark after manager Pep Guardiola wrapped up deals for Ilkay Gundogan, Aaron Mooy, Nolito, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leroy Sane.
“Gabriel is one of the most exciting young prospects in world football and plays the game in a spectacular way,” said Begiristain.
“We are delighted Gabriel has chosen to join us and we look forward to him making a big impact at Manchester City in January.”
City’s spending is unlikely to stop there with Guardiola likely to bolster his defensive options with the signing of Everton and England centre-half John Stones for a fee of around £50m.
Defending champions Leicester City, meanwhile, completed their fifth signing of the summer after luring international winger Bartosz Kapustka from Polish side Cracovia for a fee in the region of £7.5m.
The 19-year-old, who featured in four of Poland’s five matches at Euro 2016, has signed a five-year deal.