Barcelona closely follows Gabriel Veneno, 16-year-old attacker from Atlético-MG. Diário AS, a Spanish newspaper, reported that the Catalan club had placed the player in its sights and classified him as “new Neymar”. Conforme the publication, Barcelona intends to act quickly to face the competition for the attacker. Atlético, however, reported that it has not yet received any proposal or official contact to negotiate the young man.
Obstáculos in trading
Dois main impediments compromising the transfer at this time. Atlético asks for 20 million euros for the attacker, the equivalent of R$117.2 million at the current price. Além’s value, the age of Veneno represents a significant barrier. The player could not play outside of Brasil until he turned 18, when he would be enrolled in the Barcelona B team. With this restriction, he would be away from the competition for a specified period.
No Barcelona, Veneno would compete for position with Lamine Yamal, the team’s standout at 18 years old, if they made it to the professional squad.
Interesse from other European clubs
Gabriel Veneno had already caught the attention of the European market on previous occasions. Chelsea held conversations with Atlético to find out the trading conditions. Last year, Borussia Dortmund signaled an offer of 5 million euros, equivalent to approximately R$31 million.
International contacts reinforce the young striker’s potential and the athlete’s appreciation in the global market.
Trajetória from Gabriel Veneno
Natural from Ilhéus, within Bahia, João Gabriel Castro Santos started his career at a small school in his city. Depois integrated the Canarinhos project, into Santa Rita from Cássia. Santos picked him up but later dropped him.
In 2023, Veneno caught the attention of Atlético during Julho’s Copa Dois, a traditional grassroots competition. The attacker acted as Seleção of Santa Rita of Cássia. Galo decided to take the boy to Galo’s Cidade. Desde then stands out in the black and white base with frequent call-ups for Brazilian national teams.
The origin of the nickname
The nickname “Veneno” came about tragically. Aos 3 years old, in Bahia, the young man was bitten by a snake while playing in the fields. Precisou was hospitalized and had part of his right ring finger amputated. From then on, the name stuck. In an interview with CBF, Veneno explained the episode:
- Quando was at my grandmother’s house, in the countryside, I put my hand on a snake, and it bit me. Depois, in a championship at Bahia, a director of Santos put that nickname on me.
The striker’s personal story reinforces the resilience and determination that characterize his career in professional football. Apesar from the physical obstacle faced in childhood, Gabriel Veneno consolidated itself as one of the main promises of the Atlético-MG base.