17-year-old in portrait
FC Bayern and Brazilian offensive players – apart from Giovane Élber, this has only been a limited success story in the past. According to reports, Munich is now focusing on Luis Guilherme, a young, promising player from Brazil. The 17-year-old can only look back on 23 professional appearances at Palmeiras São Paulo, mostly coming off the bench and not contributing to a goal. Nevertheless, top European clubs have long since become aware of him. Transfermarkt introduces the youngster.
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The first report of Bayern’s interest in Luis Guilherme emerged last week. Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola reported on his YouTube show about two offers for the left footer. Both Chelsea and Munich approached the club from São Paulo and offered 35 million euros each – not enough for Palmeiras, which is currently in fourth place in Série A.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano followed up on Tuesday and wrote about the interest of both clubs, scouts are said to have observed Luis Guilherme in the semi-final of the Copa Libertadores against Boca Juniors (3:5 nE). However, contrary to previous reports, no offer has yet been made. Regardless of the status of current negotiations, the attacking midfielder’s name is worth keeping in mind.
FC Bayern is interested: This is Brazilian talent Luis Guilherme
Luis Guilherme comes from the east of Brazil, more precisely from Aracaju, the capital of the state of Sergipe. The boy, born in 2006, attracted attention early in his childhood on the city’s futsal and soccer fields, where he was discovered by Palmeiras scouts. At the age of 11, he moved to São Paulo, 2,000 kilometers away, to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer. Also there was his mother, who gave up her job as a cashier to support her son and his older brother on their way to becoming a professional.
Luis Guilherme excels in every age group: at the age of 13 he played for the Palmeiras U15, at 14 in the U17 and at 15 he was part of the U20 squad. His debut with the professionals was only postponed due to knee problems, but the time had come shortly after his 17th birthday. On April 15, the 1.75 meter tall playmaker came on as a substitute in the 77th minute of the 4-2 (1-1) Copa do Brasil win against Tombense FC. Under coach Abel Ferreira, 22 more games followed in the calendar year season in Brazil, four of which were in the starting line-up.
“Luis Guilherme perfectly illustrates how successful Palmeiras’ youth work has been recently. At just 17 years old, he is already in a position to massively influence the flow of the game in the Série A as a ten-man and can also play on the wing. He is currently one of the biggest Brazilian talents,” says Marcos Watts, TM Area Manager Brazil. Luis Guilherme’s services were rewarded in July with an increase in market value to 7 million euros. This puts him in fifth place in a comparison of all Brazilian U19 professionals.
In contrast to many other players in his position and at his age, Luis Guilherme is not one thing: flamboyant. João Paulo Sampaio (quoted via “Globo“), his former youth coach from Palmeiras, even described the youngster as shy in July, but praised his development in the men’s area: “He develops depending on his self-confidence and that cannot be measured at the moment. You can see how relaxed Luis is now, he talks to every player on an equal level. Today he is ready to say: ‘Give me the ball and I can take over.'”
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“His fast game – physically and mentally – and his outstanding left foot are reminiscent of Rivaldo, 2002 World Cup winner and Palmeiras legend,” adds Watts. “If he continues to develop in this direction, he is well on his way to becoming a big player in Europe and I believe he can even become the future number ten in the Seleção.”
Palmeiras also seems to be aware of this. The contract, which is valid until 2025, is to be extended and the exit clause contained therein is to be adjusted. According to reports, Luis Guilherme is currently available for a total package worth 55 million euros. Last December, Palmeiras lost the rights to their own product Endrick (17), who will move to Real Madrid next summer on his 18th birthday for 60 million euros (including bonuses).
If Luis Guilherme continues his development at the pace of recent years, the move to Europe should only be a matter of time. What role FC Bayern will play remains to be seen. In the history of the German record champions, it would only be the fourth time that a player came to Säbener Straße directly from a Brazilian club. Both the duo Mazinho and Bernardo, signed in 1991, and Breno in 2008, did not leave a lasting impression in terms of sport.
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