Hunting in the Libertadores

The South American market has always been a prolific territory for the Real Madrid. Players have come from there who have given many joys such as Gonzalo Higuaín, Marcelo or Casemiro. The last to join the white discipline from the New Continent have been Vinicius, Rodrygo and Reinier. However, scouts are keeping an eye on all competitions in search of new talent.

This weekend, several scouts from Madrid will closely follow the Copa Libertadores final that faces Palmeiras against Saints. It will be next Saturday, January 30, starting at 9:00 p.m. (Spanish time). In the mythical stadium Maracana in Rio de Janeiro Some of the best players on the continent will meet. Several of them are young people with great projection who seek to make the leap to Europe in this market or the next. Juni Calafat, head of international football at the white club, and his team are in charge of recommending great talents to the board of directors, and in the Libertadores duel there are several they have monitored for years.

Kaio Jorge It is one of them. Santos has one of the most complete U-20 forwards in the world. He is a modern nine, with a lot of mobility and a marvelous physique despite his age (19 years). It has been key for the peixe to reach the final, especially with his three goals to Gremio in the quarterfinals. Rodrygo's close friend, with whom he coincided in the lower categories of the São Paulo club, was the U-17 world champion with Brazil in 2019.

Another of the pearls of Santos is Mark Leonardo, a boy of only 17 years old who has swelled to score goals with the lower categories and who, this season, has started to have minutes in the first team. Another powerful center forward with a great nose to always be well placed near the rival area.

At Palmeiras, the eyes are focused on three men. The first is Gabriel Menino, 20 years old. It is a multipurpose player that can play both as a pivot and inside, although it has also come to play as a right back or winger. In the semifinals, against River, gave an exhibition. He has already been called up by Tite for the Brazilian team. Next to him, in the center of the field, he plays Patrick de Paula, a 21-year-old pivot who covers a lot of field, with ease for theft thanks to his physical capacity. He also stands out for how difficult it is to take the ball from him and for his long shot.

The jewel in the crown is Gabriel veron, a boy of barely 18 years old for whom half of Europe is already fighting. Skillful winger who, for many, is the star that will lead the Brazil of the future. In his 36 games with Palmeiras He already has 11 goals and five assists. Although he is not yet the undisputed starter, he is a key piece for Abel Ferreira due to his imbalance. He was also part of the team that was the U-17 world champion two years ago, and he won the Ballon d'Or for best player of the tournament. The problem is its price: its value is 25 million euros according to the specialized website Transfermarkt.