With the Brazilian national team currently in transition, a new breed of talent in Brazil is coming to the fore. Juninho, Gilberto Silva and Edu are among many successful Brazilian players to grace the Premier League with their ‘Samba style’ football. The current status of the Premier League as the ‘best league in the world’ means we could be seeing a new influx of Samba stars gracing our shores.
Sambafoot gives you a list of players here to look out for in the future and players who are currently being looked at by Premier League clubs.
Leandro Damiao – Internacional
The 22-year old is now a house-hold name in Brazil after an impressive stint at Inter and his fledgling international career which saw him score his first international goal against Ghana at Craven Cottege this month.
Already subject of a firm bid from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, Damiao is beginning to attract the attention from North London rivals Arsenal, who could become embroiled in a bidding war with Spurs next summer. Other clubs such as Inter Milan and Malaga are tracking the striker, but it is believed he is keen on a move to the Premier League.
It was only four years ago when he was playing in amateur tournaments around Sao Paulo and being passed around youth sides, hoping to get noticed. He had all but given up on a professional career when he was spotted by a friend of his father’s who took to him Atletico Ibirama for a trial, and a week later, his professional career started.
Despite him having a release clause of £43.5 million in a new contract, it is believed a fee of around £20-25 million could force Inter to sell next summer.
This is footage of his recent hat-trick against Palmeiras.
Lucas Moura – Sao Paulo
It was exclusively revealed to you yesterday by Sambafoot that Liverpool are tracking the teenage sensation to potentially bring him in next summer. The 19-year old is one of the most exciting talents in the Brazilian Campeonato at the moment being one of the star players for Tricolor.
Even at the early age of 19, he has already made seven appearances for the national side, and is currently being tracked by a host of European clubs including Chelsea, PSG and Valencia. It was believed while Chelsea signed Lucas Piazon from Sao Paulo back in March, Lucas was looked at as another option by the London club in case Piazon’s work permit application was turned down.
He is enjoying a great season at the moment being one of the first names on the team sheet for the title challengers. Also, because of his fantastic performances at the South American Youth Championships in the summer, he won Best player of the Tournament. A young player with a bright future and a player the Premier League could well be seeing soon.
Recent footage displaying his skill against Ceara.
Ganso – Santos
The attacking midfielder has been widely linked to a move to Arsenal in the summer with other Euopean clubs interested. Neymar has recently called him one of the best players in Brazil and has been called in sections of the media, the ‘new Kaka’.
Currently he is out with injury because of a thigh problem picked up against Ghana at Craven cottage this month. But he was one of the inspirations in Santos’ Copa Libertadores winning campaign and has also made a huge impact on the international scene. He was one of the main players for Brazil in the recent Copa America, and many pundits believe with more world-class match practice, he could become one of the best players in the world.
Any potential problem with a transfer could come down to the player’s ownership situation. He currently has a contract until 2015 with Santos but it reported that 45% of his ownership is with Sonda; a supermarket group who often fund contracts and transfers in football to gain profit.
With no third party ownership allowed in the Premier League, a move to England could depend on Sonda being brought out.
This is a montage of his performance in the final of the Copa Libertadores against Uruguayan side Penerol.
We will be doing a part two of this Special Report on Sambafoot next week.
