Sunderland face a huge battle to sign Fabio Jalo.
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who have reported that the Black Cats are one of six clubs who have been linked with a move for the Barnsley teenager.
Fabio Jalo became one of Barnsley’s youngest players in history when he made his senior debut at only 16 years old following his move from Benfica last summer.
The ‘sensational‘ forward has 14 appearances to his name for The Tykes, and made headlines over the weekend when he scored a stunning strike against Horsham in the FA Cup to mark his first professional goal.
Jalo has attracted attention from the Premier League downwards, with Everton, Brighton and Fulham all thought to be considering a January bid for the 17-year-old.
Sunderland are also joined by Leeds United in their pursuit, while Sporting Lisbon are said to be tracking the Portuguese youth international.
Jalo’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and it looks likely that Barnsley will try to sell him on before he can leave for free next summer.
It’s unclear how much Barnsley will demand for their wonder-kid, though is current market value is only around £130k.
Can Sunderland land Fabio Jalo?
Sunderland have already proven they have a very good eye for young talent, but it would be very interesting to see them make a change and look further down the EFL pyramid.
The Black Cats have signed youngsters from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham, while Alex Bass is actually the only player they have signed from a lower league since the 2020-21 campaign.
Fabio Jalo is clearly a huge prospect though and Brighton’s interest certainly can’t be ignored. Sunderland seem to try and model their transfer policy off the likes of Brighton and Brentford, so their interest is definitely a good sign.
The Black Cats will have to face tough competition if they want to sign the teenager, though their previous success in developing young talent could be a bonus.