Santos have confirmed that they have settled their ongoing legal debate with Barcelona by giving the Catalan side first refusal on young stars Angelo and Kaiky.
Barcelona complained to FIFA after Santos failed to notify them of the sale of Gabigol to Inter in 2016, despite Barcelona having the right to match any bid thanks to an agreement struck during their purchase of Neymar three years earlier.
The La Liga giants demanded €3m in compensation for breach of contract but numerous debts and legal issues left Santos unable to pay up, and FIFA were prepared to punish the Brazilian side for their behaviour.
However, Santos have now confirmed that Barcelona have agreed to drop the complaint in exchange for the right to match bids for two of the club’s most highly-rated youngsters, Angelo and Kaiky.
17-year-old Angelo has attracted interest from nearly every top side on the planet. Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool are among his suitors, having watched the forward become the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Copa Libertadores in early 2021.
Angelo is also second on the list of Santos’ youngest appearance makers, debuting for the club 11 days younger than the legendary Pele.
He was a regular in the Santos first team in 2021, often impressing off the bench, but 18-year-old Kaiky was a near-permanent starter.
The centre-back missed a chunk of the season with a nasty hamstring injury but still managed 15 starts in the league, and he was actually the youngest Brazilian to score in the Copa Libertadores before Angelo came and broke that record a month later.
The two are among the most in-demand prospects coming out of Brazil and Barcelona will have the right to match any offers Santos receive for the pair… assuming Santos stick to their side of the deal this time.
This article was originally published on 90min as Barcelona given first refusal on Santos starlets Angelo & Kaiky.
Source: www.90min.com