Florent Ghisolfi wins race as Sunderland sign Ecuadorian striker eyed by Barcelona and Manchester United

Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo has joined Sunderland from Independiente del Valle on a long-term contract. Sunderland Echo reports that the 18-year-old Ecuadorian striker has completed the move after the club won a race that included Barcelona and Manchester United.

Standing at six foot four, Angulo is viewed as one of Ecuador’s standout young forwards and has made a rapid impact at senior level.

He debuted for Independiente del Valle in March, scoring in a 3-1 win over Mushuc Runa. This season he has six goals in 15 league games, averaging a strike every 115 minutes.

His emergence brought a first Ecuador senior call-up in March. “Juan is a young player with exciting potential and a profile that we believe can develop very well within our football club,” said director of football Florent Ghisolfi.

“There were a lot of big clubs around Europe chasing his signature, so this signing demonstrates the attraction of Sunderland AFC. His physical qualities are obvious, but he also has good movement, technical ability and a natural instinct for scoring goals.”

Angulo strengthens Sunderland’s long-term recruitment model, with the club continuing to focus on young players with significant development potential.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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