Barcelona are pushing to sign highly rated Portuguese sensation Cardoso Varela, according to Sport.
Sporting director Deco met with the winger’s representatives in Barcelona earlier today, and the player was also present.
Following the discussions, Varela visited the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to familiarise himself with the club’s training facilities.
While that doesn’t mean the deal has been rubber-stamped, the Catalan giants are reportedly in pole position to sign Varela.
A potential move has been on the cards for a while, but Barca have kept it under wraps to avoid any last-minute hitches.
A key factor in the negotiation has been the strong relationship between Barca’s sporting management and Andy Bara, Varela’s agent.
Bara also represents summer signing Dani Olmo and former Barca talent Mikayil Faye – who joined Stade Rennais last summer – which has been instrumental to the deal reaching an advanced stage.
Varela is one of Europe’s most promising young talents and has already accumulated 22 caps for Portugal’s under-17 national team.
He came through the youth ranks at Porto, but there was an unexpected twist when he wanted to join Dinamo Odranski Obrez.
Varela had already touched down in Croatia with his representatives to sign for the fourth-tier side.
The move was seen as nothing more than a stop-gap solution to help him get plenty of action until he was eligible for his first professional contract when he turned 16.
However, Porto filed a complaint to FIFA, which threw a spanner into the works.
That disappointment could now work in his favour. He turned 16 in October and can negotiate with any club of his choosing as a free agent.
Barca are pushing to get a deal over the line, perhaps wary of a potential move from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, who have previously shown interest.
