Manchester City ‘eyeing £22.25m bid for Sporting Lisbon wonderkid Rafael Leao’
Under-21 international has burst onto the scene and was rewarded with a new contract last October
MANCHESTER CITY are reportedly about to table a £22.25million bid for Sporting Lisbon wonderkid Rafael Leao.
The striker is regarded as one of the most-promising attackers in Europe after his exploits in Portugal.
Chelsea are also interested in the 18-year-old hotshot - but claims the Cityzens are attempting to steal a march on their rivals.
Leao, a Portugal Under-21 international, has burst onto the senior scene this season and scored 12 goals in 19 matches.
Six of those have come in his 11 league matches, with the starlet also providing one assist.
Sporting have already rejected a number of approaches from interested parties across the continent over his availability.
That led them to extend the youngster's contract until 2022 last October.
However, the report states that his new deal includes a release clause of £53m.
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Sporting boss Jorge Jesus is determined to help his talented prodigy reach the very top.
He said: "He is a disconcerting player, powerful one-on-one. We will work step-by-step with Leao, who is one of the great talents our academy has."
Meanwhile, City are also believed to be closing in on the signing of Brazilian ace Fred.
The Premier League leaders are believed to have agreed a £50m deal with the Ukrainian side.
And the attacker is set to move to the Etihad on July 1, according to reports.