The teenager scored more than 80 goals in Brazilian youth football during a single calendar year in 2025 — a record for that level of competition — and made four appearances in the prestigious Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior earlier this year, where his performances attracted scouts from multiple elite European clubs.
Atletico Mineiro are aware of the attention. They have already tied Veneno to a professional contract running until July 2028, and their opening figure for any transfer discussion sits at around €20 million plus performance bonuses — a significant sum for a player yet to make a senior appearance in Brazilian football.
Barcelona's internal view is that the price is steep. Club sources acknowledge that Veneno has not yet demonstrated his ability at first-team level and operates in the same position as Lamine Yamal, making his integration into the senior squad an even longer-term proposition.
The age restrictions compound the challenge. FIFA regulations prevent the international transfer of players under 18, meaning Veneno cannot move to Europe until July 2027. Any deal agreed now would follow the model used by Real Madrid when signing Vinicius Júnior and Endrick from Brazilian clubs — a buy-now-wait arrangement in which the player continues his development at Atletico Mineiro until he reaches the threshold age.
Once in Spain, the plan would be to register him initially with Barça Atlètic rather than the first team, adding further time before any competitive contribution to the senior squad could be expected.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with scouting missions. Barcelona's position is one of genuine interest but early-stage caution — particularly given the financial constraints the club continues to navigate and the memory of the Dani Olmo registration saga of last winter, when the club nearly lost the ability to field its own player due to salary cap complications.
The desire to act quickly is real. Barcelona believe Real Madrid have consistently outperformed them in the South American market and are conscious of falling further behind.
Whether Veneno becomes the exception to their cautious approach will depend on whether Atletico Mineiro are willing to negotiate the fee closer to a figure that reflects the risk of the investment.