The Brazilian youth international has been a key target for the Canaries as they seek to add depth to their defensive unit and it’s understood they have agreed an initial loan deal with the option to buy the 20-year-old.
Alves is now poised to complete the formalities ahead of being unveiled as their first addition of the summer as City aim to arm Philippe Clement with a strong squad ahead of the new Championship season.
The deal would see the defender become the fourth player to move directly to Carrow Road from South America as part of their scouting operation on the continent.
Reports in Brazil suggest City have beaten Dynamo Kyiv and Vitoria de Guimaraes to the signing of the highly-rated defender, who has been consistently linked with Real Madrid throughout the last two seasons. The defender has elected to pick the Canaries over other sporting projects.
Alves is yet to make a senior appearance for Cruzeiro, but has been a stand-out for their under-20s. He also has three caps for the Brazil U20s side. Despite being highly rated, former Brazil national team manager Tite, who was in charge at Cruzeiro until earlier this year, acknowledged the opportunity hadn’t yet come for the young defender.
“Bruno Alves is a great player,” Tite said in January. “He will have a brilliant future. I spoke to him privately about what he can improve — I don’t say that publicly — but he is a great player, and he knows it because I told him.”
Norwich, however, are prepared to offer him the senior platform Cruzeiro could not, with Clement keen to add a left-sided option to his defensive unit.
Despite being predominantly right-footed, Alves is comfortable on his left but combines that with strong defensive fundamentals that have won him plaudits for Cruzeiro’s youth side.
During his time in Cruzeiro’s youth system, Bruno Alves won the U-20 Copa do Brasil, and the young player has also been called up to the youth national teams and competed in the U-20 World Cup in 2025.
Alves will follow Gabriel Sara, Marcelino Nunez and Pedro Lima in moving directly to Carrow Road from South America. Norwich have a prolonged presence in the area with two professional scouts.