Sunderland closely watch wonderkid who stood out at Lionel Messi tournament
Sunderland are interested in signing River Plate’s 15-year-old jewel Bruno Cabral.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus splashed the cash this summer, as Sunderland spent in excess of £150m to aid Regis Le Bris ahead of this Premier League campaign.
Sunderland have had a blistering season so far, and many of the signings look like they are paying off.
However, not as much thought went into the Black Cats’ future with youth signings, and that appears to be something the Sunderland hierarchy is now looking to address in the coming weeks.
The Mackems may not need to look any further than Cabral, who looks likely to be the future of Argentina.
Bruno Cabral was the top scorer at Lionel Messi Cup
Sunderland have promoted a ton of youth in recent years, whether that be their own or talents who have been brought in and developed at the Academy of Light.
The first of ever edition of the ‘Lionel Messi Cup’ was held in Miami, Florida, this December. It featured youth teams from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Messi‘s old club Newell’s Old Boys, and River Plate.
During the under-16’s tournament, River Plate came out as champions, with Sunderland-linked Cabral finishing as the top goal-scorer.
| Games | Goals |
| 5 | 7 |
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Sunderland have enquired about the signing of the striker to learn more about his situation at River Plate, and will be closely monitoring in the weeks to come.
The Black Cats have been listed alongside two other European Giants interested in securing the youngster’s signature, with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Leverkusen also paying attention.
Messi was in the stands to watch as Cabral scored against Barcelona in a 2-2 draw during the tournament.
When Sunderland may legally approach Cabral
As things stand, unless for exceptional circumstances, Sunderland cannot transfer Cabral due to FIFA’s international regulations.
Before Brexit, there was an exception to international players aged 16-17 moving within the EU, but due to Cabral’s nationality, he never qualified for this rule anyway.
Sunderland will most likely have to wait until 2028 to sign Cabral from River Plate, when he is 18, but by then, the Black Cats will have plenty more data on the forward.
Regardless, personal terms can be reached before a formal transfer offer is sent, and one day in the future, we could see Cabral playing at the Stadium of Light.
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