Manchester City have confirmed the signing of a Brazilian teenager dubbed 'the new Dani Alves' on a five-year contract.
Yan Couto, 17, will link up with Pep Guardiola's squad this summer after signing from Brazilian club Coritiba. He will remain at Coritiba until he turns 18 in June.
Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen have all been linked with a move for defender Couto, who has been likened to his compatriot Alves, the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil great renowned for his lightning pace, passing ability and attacking prowess.
City released a statement confirming they had won the race for Couto's signature.
It is thought City were keen to push through a deal for the defender during the January transfer window but were unable to agree terms with the Brazilian club.
Couto, who has yet to make a first-team appearance at Coritiba, has been capped 13 times for Brazil at Under 17 level and was part of the team that won the U17 World Cup last November on home soil.
He created more chances than any other defender at that tournament, despite being sent off in his first appearance, against New Zealand.
The comparisons with Alves are intriguing, given his connection with Guardiola.
During their time together at Barcelona, Alves became a marauding one-man flank who almost redefined the role of an attacking right-back. His link-up play with the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi yielded trophies galore, including the treble of Spanish league, cup and Champions League during Guardiola's first season in charge in 2008/09.
Though clearly one for the future, Couto will look to challenge first-choice Kyle Walker for the right-back berth at City.
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