Gabriel-Jesus

It’s a long shot, but in Brazil this is his nickname: this youngster is known as “Fenomeno do Palmeiras” or “Novo Fenomeno”. He plays for Palmeiras, the “Italian” Brazilian team who are the latest team to win the Brazilian cup.

We won’t draw a comparison between Luis Nazario da Lima Ronaldo and Gabriel Fernando de Jesus. It’s a long way to the top for this teenager, although he has got what it takes to to be a star for some of Europe’s elite football clubs.

He’s 19 years old. He was born in Sao Paulo, in the favelas of Jardim Peri, and started playing football on the streets, as many other past players have done. He started playing football for the amateur Anhanguera, and at the age of 16 he scored 54 goals in just 48 appearances. He joined Palmeiras after these staggering performances. Whilst playing for the under-17 team he scored 37 goals in 22 appearances in Campeonato Paulista.

In 2014 the Palmeiras fans pleaded with the club to give him an opportunity in the first team, but Palmeiras were struggling to survive in the first division and Gabriel didn’t play a match. Maybe this has been a good thing for him, because in those situations it’s hard for young players to express themselves and showcase their talents.

Why is he so popular? He’s a forward, which is a  role that Brazilian clubs and the National team are currently struggling to fill. He’s a skillful dribbler, creative and fast; in the Brazilian national youth team he has displayed good passing ability as well as some customary tricks associated with Brazilian players such as backheels and nutmegs.

He has been closely watched by a host of top European clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Juventus, Roma, Internazionale and many more. All of these clubs needs a good forward and the brazilian wonderkid seems not only a hot prospect for the future but also a great deal for the present. At the moment he doesn’t want to move from Palmeiras as he said recently, but the appeal of those elite European clubs could be compelling.

With Gabriel Barbosa and Matheus Pereira he seems to be the most important player of the next generation of Brazilian footballers. He plays for Palmeiras who are a rival club to Santos and Corinthians, so their fans wanted him in the senior National team before the other young talents. And he did it: he has been called by the Brazilian first team, maybe because they lack in the forward department and have a large number of wingers and playmakers.

All of Brazil hope to see a good forward player emerge for the national team: Neymar often plays in that role, but he’s better as a winger. Could Gabriel be the player they have been waiting for?

About the author – Marco Santanche

Marco was born in Rome and supports Inter because of Luiz Nazario Da Lima Ronaldo. He is a Brazilian citizen because of his father’s roots.  He played futsal for several years, even in the FIGC (Italian FA) as a winger, playmaker and striker.  He is now studying for a degree in finance.

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Matheus-Pereira

In the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, you will find one of the most successful clubs in South America: Corinthians, the Timao.

Corinthians have been home to some of the best Brazilian players of recent times such as Adriano, Pato, Ronaldo and so on. Within this glorious club there’s a young player who is on his way to becoming a star: Matheus Pereira.

This youngster has played for Corinthians since the age of 11. He started playing for the first team in the Copa do Brazil against Santos, under the guidance of the Corinthians’ coach Tite. He hasn’t made that many appearances for Corinthians, but has played for the Under-17 squad and won Under-17 Club World Cup.

Some Corinthians fans remember him for having missed a penalty in the Copa Sao Paulo final against Flamengo, which ultimately cost his team the trophy. He attempted a Panenka but it ended up hitting the bar and he was the only one from his team to make a mistake. His coach will have reprimanded him for his haughtiness, but in a way this shows his courage. He cried after missing the penalty, which demonstrated his loyalty and affection for the club.

However, with the Under-17 team, he has scored some beautiful goals, for example the one against Barcelona or the stunning goal from midfield against Sporting Crystal.

His nickname is Pirulao, which represents a tall, thin man. He’s just a boy but he is 1.81 m tall. He’s left footed. He can play as a playmaker or CM and his best qualities are tackling, passing and dribbling. He’s very skillful but like many left-footed players he doesn’t make use of the right foot very much. He has to improve his physical endurance, mentality and become more aggressive before he will be ready for a move to Europe. Especially in Italy, where Juventus FC appear to be interested in him, physical qualities and an aggressive mentality are vital.

Now Matheus Pereira is 18 years old and he’s dreaming of a transfer to Europe: what will happen to this rising Brazilian star?

He’s a transfer target for Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid. He’s valued at 2 million, but with the rumored battle for his signature, this could lead to a significant increase in his price.

The two Spanish destinations could be the best for him, but he won’t be more than a member of the youth team. There he will have to compete against other young talents and fight hard to show his qualities. Signing for Juventus instead could mean that he would have more opportunities to become a first team player much sooner.

Whatever happens we hope to see another hot prospect from Brazil showcase his talents on the European stage!

About the author – Marco Santanche

Marco was born in Rome and supports Inter because of Luiz Nazario Da Lima Ronaldo. He is a Brazilian citizen because of his father’s roots. He played futsal for several years, even in the FIGC (Italian FA) as a winger, playmaker and striker. He is now studying for a degree in finance.

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