Report: Barcelona Make Contact with Santos over 'New Neymar' Rodrygo Goes

Barcelona are reportedly moving ahead in their pursuit of 17-year-old Santos forward Rodrygo Goes, who has been compared with former Blaugrana star Neymar.

According to Lluis Miguelsanz of Sport, the Camp Nou giants have been in contact with the Brazilian outfit and the player's representatives over potentially signing Rodrygo and are now in "pole position."

Miguelsanz added Barca have been scouting the teenager for the last few months, and he has a €50 million release clause in his contract with Santos.

A Brazilian youth international, Rodrygo made his first team debut for Santos in November last year, soon after signing his first professional contract with the club.

In March this year he then became the youngest player ever to score in the Copa Libertadores when he found the net in a 3-1 defeat of Uruguayan outfit Club Nacional.

Comparisons with Neymar are not a huge surprise. He boasts many of the exciting attributes his compatriot did at a younger age:

Should Barcelona sign him the comparisons are only likely to increase.

Neymar moved to Barca from Santos in 2013 as a 21-year-old amid much fanfare, and he went on to win two La Liga titles and a UEFA Champions League before his £200 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Barca will likely look to quash any comparisons with Neymar should Rodrygo move to the Camp Nou as it would pile huge pressure on the youngster.

It is also unlikely he would slot straight into the first team at Barca as they have recently spent huge sums of money replacing Neymar with Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho.

However, they do seem to be ahead of the pack in the race for Rodrygo, who would be an exciting addition to Ernesto Valverde's squad.