Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson travelled to Brazil to watch 17-year-old Santos forward Angelo Gabriel, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Career so far

As a young teenager, Gabriel has already amassed an impressive CV in professional football.

Making his debut for Santos at just 15 years old, the winger surpassed Pele by 11 days to become the second-youngest debutant in the club’s history. He only came in behind legendary forward Edu, who crazily debuted as a 14-year-old.

The youngster has now made 85 appearances for the Brazilian giants; 43 of which have come in the country’s top-flight.

The Latest: NUFC monitoring

With previous rumours having touted the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool with interest, it appears the Magpies are also keen on the 17-year-old.

According to a report by The Athletic, Nickson, who works as Newcastle’s head of recruitment, travelled to Brazil in July to watch Santos’ 2-1 loss to Flamengo.

Whilst the Tyneside outfit are yet to make a move for the teen prodigy's signature, the report also states that the club continue to monitor his situation in Brazil.

The Verdict: Wonderkid

As the youngest ever goal-scorer in the Copa Libertadores, the winger could go on to become the most expensive sale in Santos’ history after a £52m release clause was inserted into the contract he signed on his 16th birthday.

Dubbed a ‘wonderkid’ by Brazilian youth scout Andre Noruega, Gabriel will likely make the move across the Atlantic in the near future, following in the footsteps of the likes of Neymar and Robinho.

With his current contract running through to the end of 2024 he will not come cheap, but can Newcastle's new-found riches help them win the race?