Barcelona linked with future Brazilian centre-back

Barcelona tracking 18-year-old Atlético Mineiro centre-back Vitao, valued at €14m; Brighton and Real Madrid also monitoring the Brazilian prospect.

Barcelona are scouting the market for a centre-back to strengthen their squad, and have added Atlético Mineiro's Vitao to their list of targets. The 18-year-old Brazilian defender has established himself in Atlético Mineiro's first team this season, making 18 appearances and scoring once. According to TeamTalk, Barcelona, Brighton and Real Madrid are all tracking his progress closely.

Vitao, a right-footed defender standing 1.94m tall with strong aerial ability, has impressed sufficiently that Brazilian sources value a potential transfer at around €14 million. However, Atlético Mineiro have no intention of selling and are confident of retaining him at least until summer 2027, with his contract running until the end of 2028.

The Brazil U-20 international will have a high-profile opportunity to showcase his abilities in the Copa Sudamericana final against Boca Juniors on 21 November.