China under-20 star set for Botafogo move

Rio de Janeiro, July 25 (IANS) China under-20 playmaker Tang Shi has reportedly agreed a three-year contract with Brazilian football club Botafogo.

Tang has been on trial at Botafogo since April, having caught the eye of talent scouts during a tour of Asia by the Rio de Janeiro club's under-19 team last year, reports Xinhua.

The permanent deal is expected to be made official next week following the completion of paperwork from Tang's former club Shandong Luneng.

"He is a promising player. I have been able to observe him and he has great technical quality and vision," Botafogo coach Vagner Mancini told the Brazilian news portal Globoesporte .

"He hasn't attracted this much attention for nothing. I think that the physical aspect is probably going to be the most difficult for him. He will need to focus on nutrition to put on weight, even though we often see small, light players being successful."

Tang said he was not yet contemplating the prospect of remaining with the two-time Brazilian Serie A champions.

"Now I'm only thinking about working as hard as I possibly can to become a professional," Tang said. "I really like Brazilian football, it's the best in the world. But we still have to see if my future is going to be here."