Manchester City have reportedly moved ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion in the race to sign Boca Juniors teenager Valentin Barco.
The 19-year-old has attracted interest from the Premier League duo since breaking into the Boca Juniors first team earlier this year.
Barco has made a total of 20 senior appearances for the Argentine giants, including 17 outings in 2023, and he has operated as either a left-back or left-winger.
The Argentina Under-20 international is under contract at Boca Juniors until December 2024 and his deal is understood to include an $10m (£7.9m) release clause.
Brighton appeared to be at the front of the queue to sign Barco earlier this summer, but Argentine news outlet La Nacion, via Sports Witness, claims that Man City have stepped up their interest in the youngster.
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The report adds that the Citizens have made a 'tempting offer' for Barco that is 'slightly higher' than the $9m (£7m) bid made by Brighton that was rejected by Boca Juniors.
Barco's aforementioned $10m (£7.9m) release clause in his contract is due to increase to $14m (£11m) in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window.
The youngster is now weighing up a possible exit and is said to have been advised by Boca Juniors trio Sergio Romero, Dario Benedetto and Marcos Rojo – the latter formerly of Manchester United – to stay with the club.
Barco is believed to be keen to play for Boca Juniors in both legs of their Copa Libertadores quarter-final tie against fellow Argentine side Racing Club between August 24 and August 31 – the second leg taking place a day before the summer transfer window closes in England.
It remains to be seen whether Man City manager Pep Guardiola intends to integrate Barco into his first-team squad or send the teenager out on loan.
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Citizens wideman Sergio Gomez – a peripheral figure in Guardiola's squad – is a player with a similar profile to Barco, as the versatile Spaniard has played numerous times as either a left-back or left-winger throughout his career.
In recent years, Man City have delved into the South American market to recruit highly-rated starlets including Julian Alvarez and Maximo Perrone.
Alvarez – a World Cup winner with Argentina – joined Guardiola's side last summer from River Plate and became a treble-winner in the 2022-23 campaign, while Perrone moved to the Etihad Stadium from Velez Sarsfeld in January but made just two first-team appearances last season.
While Alvarez remains an important first-team player for Man City, Perrone is allegedly attracting interest from Spanish club Las Palmas, who are hoping to sign the midfielder on loan.
Man City, meanwhile, have reportedly put negotiations with West Ham United over a deal for Lucas Paqueta on hold, as the midfielder is being investigated by FIFA and the Football Association over alleged betting breaches.
