Luan’s amazing rise puts Liverpool and Arsenal on the Brazilian’s trail – eight years after he quit football for futsal
The 24-year-old striker is one of the hottest properties in South America and Football Whispers look at just why
At 16 Luan quit football and switched his focus to futsal. Eight years later he is an Arsenal and Liverpool transfer target and the most wanted player in Brazil.
On Thursday he saw the queue for his services lengthen, scoring a brace to send Gremio to the final of the Copa Libertadores – the South American equivalent of the Champions League.
That double against Ecuadorian side Barcelona means Luan now has seven in eight Libertadores games and 16 in all competitions this season.
Our friends at Football Whispers profile the in-demand 24-year-old forward.
Who is Luan and where does he come from?
It was all over before it had begun for the attacker who looks set to be the next talent out of Brazil to make it big in Europe.
Luan signed for Rio Preto Esporte Club at 15. But it was a culture shock for the teenager and one he did not enjoy.
Former mentor, Alex Sandro Rocha Pineiro, recalls that time: “For a whole year, he never played. So, after 12 months of training sessions, he went back to futsal. From the age of 16 to 18, Luan played only futsal.”
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But Pineiro, who first met Luan aged nine, knew better.
He asked local side America to take Luan as part of their squad to the Copa Sao Paulo youth tournament in 2013.
They agreed but the player only accepted their offer hours before registration for the competition closed.
Pineiro’s persistence paid off. Luan was a star and after turning down the opportunity to sign with Internacional, he agreed a six-month deal with Gremio, managed by former Brazil and Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
But it took Scolari’s 2015 departure, and the subsequent appointment of Roger Machado, for things to really click for Luan with the Imortal Tricolor.
Having been played out wide previously, he moved inside as a false nine and thrived. He made his debut away to Sao Jose in the Campeonato Gaucho and opened his account ten days later in a 1-1 draw against Brasil de Pelotas.
After scoring three times in 14 outings, Luan was handed his Serie A debut in April 2014, starting Gremio’s 2-1 win over Atletico Mineiro.
By scoring ten times in 33 starts in the 2015 league season he established himself as an integral part of the side and was named in the Brasileiro Team of the Year.
The following year he was part of the Brazil squad charged with winning gold on home turf at the Rio Olympics.
With Barcelona star Neymar, future Manchester City hot-shot Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Barbosa in attack, Luan starte
d the tournament as back-up.
But with the ‘golden trio’ faltering in the group stages, Luan was introduced and finished with three goals from four starts, helping the Selecao clinch gold.
He made his full debut earlier this year, coming off the bench to play the final six minutes of a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ecuador in September.
Although interest from Europe has been scarce until now, Luan has drawn plenty of plaudits in his homeland.
World Cup winner Scolari has called him a game changer while ex-Brazil international Tostao believes he is among the best five Brazilians playing.
How much would he cost?
Speaking in the summer, Gremio vice-president Odorico Roman said: “We had two firm approaches, from Sampdoria and Spartak.
“They were made, but Luan remains as a Gremio player at the moment.”
That cannot remain the case for much longer.
He is a late bloomer and even later when it comes to flying the nest. But Luan’s ability cannot be denied and a price of £30m or more would see him, finally, prised out of Brazil.
What is his most likely destination in January or next summer?
Luan nearly left Gremio over the summer with Spartak Moscow offering £17m for the forward.
But the deal fell down when it came to light that Luan was owned by four parties – his club, plus three individuals.
Next summer he should be owned by just one – a Premier League club. The only question is who.
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