Man City complete £9m deal for Brazilian wonderkid Kayky

Posted Saturday, April 24, 2021 by Goal.com

The 17-year-old winger, who has drawn comparisons with Neymar, will remain at Fluminense until the end of the Brazilian season

Manchester City have signed 17-year-old winger Kayky from Brazilian club Fluminense for a fee believed to be worth around £9 million ($12m) plus add-ons.

The teenager is set to remain in Brazil until the end of the 2021 season before either moving to City or going out on loan.

Who is Kayky?

Fully named Kayky da Silva Chagas and compared to Neymar, he only made his debut for the senior team this season but has been scouted by City for a number of years.

He has two goals from his nine appearances so far but underlined his huge potential with a stunning solo goal against Nova Iguacu earlier this month.

Kayky was the top scorer in last year's Brasileirao Under-17 Championship with 12 goals and has also played for Brazil at Under-16 level.

What's been said?

“Kayky is a player who stands out a lot for his technical quality, especially with regard to one-on-ones, and also in his quality in front of goal," Fluminense's U17 coach, Guilherme Torres, told Goal.

"He is also very intelligent, searches for empty spaces on the field and has a good ability to provide assists for his team-mates.

"In addition, he has a winning, competitive mentality, which is important for a high-level player. His resilience has grown as he has matured, and he is learning how to deal with adversity."

The bigger picture

Kayky will follow a number of Brazilian youngsters that have moved to City in recent years with former Palmeiras striker Gabriel Jesus being the most successful.

The 18-year-old full-back Yan Couto is currently on loan at sister club Girona after joining from Coritiba, while Diego Rosa, 18, is on loan at Belgium club Lommel after signing from Gremio.

City are also interested in Kayky's Fluminense team-mate Metinho although they have not yet announced a deal.