Introduction
The scouting and recruitment domain is becoming more complicated by the day. Teams that do not have enormous financial resources need to identify young and high-potential players that are inexpensive. Most clubs cannot afford ready-made players at their peaks. Instead, they scout for promising budding talent from various leagues. As the European player market is more commercially exposed, this piece will discover young players from that Brazilian first-tier league that does not receive much European recognition.
Methodology Used
Only players equal to or under the age of twenty-three will be considered. They will be screened according to their statistics. Young players would find it difficult to match or exceed the statistical performance of established and experienced players. Therefore, the data analysis will consider their age and room to improve.
Marcos Leonardo - Striker (Age: 19)
After making his debut for Santos at only sixteen, Marcos Leonardo has already played 54 career league games, scoring 17 goals at an impressive rate of 0.54 goals per 90. As a regular starter, Leonardo also has over 1600 minutes under his belt this season. This young, auspicious, and hardworking player, will surely catch the eyes of wealthier clubs one day.
Let us first analyze his statistics from the ongoing season and then identify the type of player he is.
Individual Data - 2022 Season
(MP: Matches played Gls/90: Goals per 90 Ast/90: Assists per 90 G+A/90: Goals+Assist per 90 Sh/90: Shots taken per 90 SoT%: Shots on target % G/Sh: Goals per shot Aerials Won: Aerial duels won per game OutofBox: Shots outside the box per game SixYardBox: Shots in the six-yard box per game Penalty Area: Shots in the penalty area per game)
(source: fbref & whoscored)
At the age of 19, Leonardo's goals per 90 data is great. Scoring a goal in almost every other game for a mid-table team is no cakewalk. For a striker, his assists per 90 data is not substandard either. Among the top five goalscorers in the league, Leonardo has the highest assists per 90.
Assists Per 90 Comparison
(source: fbref)
Leonardo is a quick, agile, and skillful striker, capable of playing in various phases of the game. During counters, he can proficiently play on the transition. While in possession, he is capable of dropping deep to help link up and maintains good positions in the box. All of these attributes are reflected by looking at his heatmap.
Season Heatmap (2022)
(source: sofascore)
The accumulation of touches in the center circle of the pitch shows that he receives a lot of the progressive passes when the team recovers the ball. He scores most of his goals inside the penalty box, as shown by the concentration of touches in this area. The 1.7 shots per game inside the penalty box indicate the same.
Finally, let us perform a comparative analysis to collate his output with the other top goalscorers in the league.
(source: fbref)
His total shot volume is less than the average output of the top goalscorers, but he matches the average goals per shot number. It implies that, though he may not match the volume of the shots taken by the top goalscorers, he can convert a higher percentage of his chances. Also, considering that he is, on average, ten years younger than his competitors, there is a lot of time to improve.
Among the top strikers, his total goals and assists contribution stats per 90 is up to the mark for a 19-year-old. Yet again, he stacks up well against the top goalscorers in this regard, as shown by the data table and the scattergram.
(source: fbref)
In conclusion, he looks like a top prospect and one for the future. He needs another year or two to develop different skills. At Santos, he will get the game time he needs. His performances seem to be going on the right trajectory and hopefully he can fulfill his potential.
With the resurgence of traditional strikers in Europe, do not be surprised if European clubs chase after his signature in the coming years.
Danilo - Defensive Midfielder (Age: 21)
Over the past few years, Danilo dos Santos de Oliveira has molded into one of the best defensive midfielders in the Brazilian domestic league. At just 21 years of age, he has established his position in one of the biggest Brazilian teams, Palmeiras.
Individual Data - 2022 Season
He is one of the most all-rounded defensive midfielders in the domestic league. Danilo's presence is intimidating and his dominance is conspicuous. He covers the entire center midfield area as shown by the heatmap.
Season Heamap (2022)
(source: sofascore)
He is capable of joining the attack as well as sitting back to perform his defensive duties. At twenty-one, he is a well-balanced midfielder. His skillset would suit any system. Shown below is the comparison of his attributes with other center midfielders in the league.
(source: sofascore)
Danilo has been vital for Palmeiras' title ambitions this season. He has already racked up over 1600 minutes this season, making him the fifth most used player on the team. Out of the eleven players that have played over 1000 minutes, Danilo is the youngest. It is remarkable that at twenty-one, he is a regular starter in a title-contending side.
To exhibit Danilo's high level of performance, let us conduct a comparative analysis with other defensive midfielders from the top five teams in the Brasileiro Serie A.*
*Defensive midfielders from the top five teams have been compared since the output demanded would be similar and as they enjoy similar possession stats and playing styles*
(source: fbref)
The distribution facet of his game needs improvement. His pass success rate is quite low compared to the other midfielder that plays similar positions. To fit into any European team, enhancing this skill will be paramount. However, his key passes per game data is the second best amongst the other players. This forte could be useful to unlock the opposition's defense in tight games.
(source: fbref)
The defensive aspect of his game is the strongest. Danilo wins the most tackles per game and has high interceptions per 90 output for a team that dominates the ball. Moura is capable of providing double the volume in this regard as he plays for a team with an average possession of only 43.1%. Therefore, considering the stats and all other factors, his defensive return is high. To get the best out of him, he should be used as a ball-winning midfielder by any team that pursues him in the future.
Overall, he looks close to being ready for the European stage. Any team that would like to go after him next summer, should give him the time to adapt. He is not far from being ready but needs a little more game time to develop his assets further. He will surely progress to the European stage eventually. It is just a matter of time.
Natan - Center Back (Age: 21)
Natan Bernardo de Souza, born in 2001, currently plays for Red Bull Bragantino, on loan from Flamengo. Having made his debut in 2020 for his parent club, he moved to Bragantino for more game time. Over the past two seasons, he has established himself as a regular starter on the team. For the ongoing 2022 campaign, he has over 1500 minutes under his belt in just 17 games. His per 90 data is already up-to-the-mark. He has caught the attention of the Flamengo manager and could force himself into the team if called up next year. Let us scrutinize the various elements of his game to understand more about the Brazilian prospect.
From a defensive standpoint, he produces a very competitive output. Compared to the experienced defenders in the league, he is on par.
(source: sofascore)
At 6'1, he wins a modest rate of his aerial duels. It needs improvement if he wants to become an aerial threat. Building on this skill set can help him defensively as well as offensively. It would turn him into a more well-rounded center-back. Nevertheless, he wins most of his ground duels. Statistically, Natan also wins a higher percentage of the ground duels compared to the other center backs. All of which, are reflected by the data.
(source: sofascore)
With top teams demanding center-backs to have good distribution skills, young defenders must learn the art of progressive passing. It is important to note that Natan plays for a team that keeps lesser possession than most of the players he is compared with.
(source: sofascore)
Although Natan has a lower volume of passes made in the opposition half, his pass success rate is fairly high. However, he can work on the volume of passes he attempts. His center-back partner, Leo Ortiz, has a higher volume and success rate than Natan. The manager either depends on Ortiz more to make the progressive passes or it may just be that he takes more initiative to do so. Either way, it is a facet he can improve.
Altogether, Natan's growth is moving on the right path. He is a highly talented player. At twenty-one, he has room to develop. He can become a greatly reliable defender in the future. Clubs in Europe will surely have their eyes on him to closely monitor his progress.
Conclusion
There are many Brazilian talents. The ones mentioned above are just a few. There are and have been numerous world-class Brazilian footballers. With the growth of their domestic league, there will be a greater number of players that will play for the best clubs around the world. The maturation of the scouting departments has forced them to look into various markets and the Brazilian market is not one to ignore. We will see the above players make big-money-moves in the coming years and more Brazilians will follow. Meanwhile, let us closely follow their progress and keep an eye out for new prospects.
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