Barcelona Plotting Swoop for €50m-Rated Brazilian Starlet Dubbed the 'Next Neymar'

Barcelona are reportedly ready to swoop for the starlet dubbed 'the new Neymar' in the form of Rodrygo Goes.

The 17-year-old is thought to be high on Barça's list of summer transfer targets, according to Spanish publication Sport, and have already made contact with his representatives about their possible interest in a switch to Camp Nou.

The similarities between Rodrygo and Neymar extend far beyond their playing styles, with the former coming through the youth ranks at Brazilian giants Santos much like the ex-Blaugrana star did too.

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Rodrygo has been tipped to be the next big superstar to emerge from Santos' academy and out of Brazilian football as a whole, and being able to secure his signature now would allow the current La Liga leaders to mould him in their image and create something of a Neymar 2.0.

Sport has claimed that a number of top clubs' chief executives are trying to convince the forward to leave his homeland and join their sides, but Barcelona are believed to be front and centre of any race to land his services in the near future.

The Catalan giants have been scouting Rodrygo significantly over the past few months and have been left impressed by his form for both Santos' first team and Brazil's youth sides.

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The attacker has bagged two goals in eight senior games so far this season and would be available for a fee in the region of €50m due to a buyout clause located in his current contract at Estadio Urbano Caldeira.

That release clause fee was put in the first professional contract that Rodrygo penned when he turned 17 back in January, and Barça would certainly be able to stump up that amount of cash for him.

Much like Neymar before him, Rodrygo would only be able to agree a pre-contract agreement with Ernesto Valverde's team for now but would likely move to Catalonia when he turns 18 at the start of 2019.