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Scouting Barcelona Transfer Target Luan Guilherme
- Updated: August 12, 2016
It was evident from the moment he came onto the field that he had that something special. Brazil had put in a relatively aimless display against South Africa in their 2016 Olympic Games curtain raiser. Neymar had huffed and puffed, but goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune’s house hadn’t come close to being blown down.
Enter Luan Guilherme, a creative forward who can play both out wide, up front and in the hole, along with Rafinha, as coach Rogerio Micale rolled the dice in a bid to break the deadlock. Although the game finished goalless, Brazil looked a much greater threat after the substitutions were made. And that was down to the forward, Luan.
Rafinha is a fine player, but he lacks fitness having barely played last season and then suffered an untimely injury that ruled him out of the Copa America. The difference in Brazil’s play, which instantly looked more focused, more dangerous, was thanks to Luan.
He created the game’s best chance, with quick footwork in the area carving out some space before his cross-shot was fired wide from a yard out by new Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus at the far post. It was a moment that cost Brazil the victory.
It made it all the more puzzling that in the second game he was left on the bench again, as Brazil toiled against Iraq. Luan was brought on at half-time and again he improved the team, but not as dramatically as in the first match, and the game finished goalless.
Luan started the next game against Denmark, and Brazil were transformed. That was not solely down to him, but he played well, scoring a goal and creating one for Gabriel Jesus, and he helped them romp to victory to reach the quarter-finals when the alternative was an embarrassingly early exit on home soil.
The forward did some fine work down the right before sending in a big dipper of a cross that landed perfectly for Jesus to finish with aplomb. Then he demonstrated his own goalscoring prowess, dispatching well from 10 yards out after the ball was dragged back to him from the left. Luan showed intelligence to peel off his man and create space for the cut-back, before keeping a cool head for the finish.
Present and correct was Barcelona’s sporting director Robert Fernandez, who is in the country to …
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