United and Chelsea chase ‘Snow Messi’ (aged 8)

A new Argentine wonderkid dubbed ‘the Snow Messi’ is reportedly on the radar of Manchester United and Chelsea.Claudio Gabriel Nancufil, aged eight, has been making waves with his incredible close control and dribbling.Nicknamed ‘Little Snow Messi’ because he hails from the town of Bariloche in the foothills of the Andes mountain range, the tiny trickster is being scouted by Europe’s clubs, including Premier League giants United and Chelsea.This video shows just why he is turning the heads of football scouts around the world – despite being a small child, he has all the tricks and an awareness of his surroundings that belies his age. Claudio also shows great determination when he loses the ball, working hard to recover it and – unusual for a boy of his age – comfortable with bringing team-mates into the play.Amusingly the youngster is often seen sporting a captain's armband as he displays similar leadership qualities to the world's best player (when he's not injured).Claudio, who routinely humiliates bigger and older opponents with his silky skills and turn of pace, is a member of the Mapuche indigenous group of peoples from south west Argentina and south central Chile.                                                                                                                                                                                Other famous players to come from this group include former Chile star Marcelo Salas, and compatriot Jean Beausejour, who starred in the 2-0 friendly win over England.
Claudio is from the Argentine branch, and the president of his local team Club Martin Guemes said he seems identical to Lionel Messi at the same age – and not just in his ability.“He is a forward, left-sided, a goal-scorer and a very fast runner,” his club president told Diario Nuevo in Argentina.“Physically he is tiny and we detected similar growth problems to those which Messi had as a child. We are therefore giving him hormone treatment.”One thing that could get in the way of the big English clubs is regulations concerning non-EU footballers under the age of 18. Unless his family are able to move to Britain of their own accord, he would have to wait until completing school before coming to England.The regulations are not so strict in Spain, though, which additionally has a fast-track citizenship programme for migrants hailing from former Spanish colonies. As such, Barcelona and Real Madrid could be better placed to sign him up early – either way, expect him to grace the pitches and TV screens in Europe in about a decade.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            posted by Emanto Ngaloru Nov, 21, 2o13.