Manchester City are closing in on a €32m (£26.8m) move for Palmeiras’ highly-rated forward Gabriel Jesus, with Pep Guardiola having spoken to him, according to reports.

The 19-year-old starlet is currently one the of the golden boys of Brazilian football, with his 10 goals in 2016 Serie A action for his club side making him the division’s top scorer.

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His performances have led to a role in the Selecao’s U-23 side – where he will be playing alongside Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa and Neymar – for the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, while there have been suggestions that the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all keen on him.

However, it’s understood that a £28.6m move to Man City is close, with Guardiola having convinced the player that England is the right place for him

Respected Twitter account Selecao Brasileira claim to have spoken to a top journalist in Brazil about the situation, with the source revealing that a deal is close and that a conversation between Guardiola and Gabriel Jesus was key in swaying the young attacker:

“Got confirmation from journalist covering Brazil training camp. City €32M offer for Gabriel Jesus is a reality. Palmeiras satisfied w/ fee.

“The agreement until this moment is verbal, not paper. The fact all sides are happy suggests finalising the deal is a matter of time.

“Gabriel was initially not considering City. He felt "valued" when Guardiola called him and is now excited with idea of City as destination.”

These claims are echoed by Globo, who reveal that Gabriel Jesus and Guardiola spoke on the phone for 15 minutes.

The account went on to reveal that a deal is likely to be held off until 2017, with the player keen to stay with Palmeiras as they compete for the 2016 title in Brazil:

“Gabriel Jesus' side informed City his wish to stay at Palmeiras until 'at least' January 2017. The English club's reply was positive.”

Again, these suggestions are backed up by recent reports from UOL Esporte, that suggested a deal will be kept on ice with Palmeiras top of the table and looking to maintain their position.

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