Everton are set to battle Premier League rivals Manchester United for the signature of Brazilian starlet Gustavo Assuncao, according to Calciomercato. Here are five facts and more information about the promising player.
Who is Gustavo Assuncao?
The defensive-midfielder has been one of Portuguese side Famalicao’s most influential players since the club was promoted to the top flight last season.
Like Fama, the Brazilian has quickly adapted to the top tier of Portuguese football. He helped the club reach the semi-finals of the Portuguese domestic cup for the first time in the club’s 89-year history.
He also helped them record their highest league finish, securing sixth place.
Famalicão dropped points in their final match to miss out on Europa League qualification by a single point to Rio Ave, who went on to be knocked out by AC Milan.
With Everton and Manchester United both looking to bolster their midfield with some youthful exuberance, Assuncao would be the perfect fit.
He is a technical player, likes to maraud forward and isn’t afraid of getting stuck into challenges.
Here are five facts about the young Brazilian.
Five facts on Gustavo Assuncao
1. Assuncao is the son of former Atletico Madrid and Porto midfielder Paulo Assuncao. Assuncao senior retired in July 2014 having made 334 career appearances. That included 147 matches for the La Liga side and 94 games for Porto.
2. Brazilian-born Assuncao is eligible to represent three countries – Spain, Portugal and Brazil.
According to O Jogo, he qualifies to represent Portugal through his maternal grandfather.
3. Assuncao’s youth career saw him feature in the academies of Porto, Atletico Madrid – while his father was representing the club – and Sao Paulo.
He returned to the Spanish side without making a competitive appearance for the senior team. The youngster was named as an unused substitute by Diego Simeone for the club’s encounter with Celta Vigo in April 2019.
4. Assuncao has represented Brazil on two occasions for the U23s. That consisted of eight minutes against South Korea and four minutes against Egypt.
5. Assuncao has made 47 appearances to date for Famalicao. In that time, he has scored one goal and provided two assists.
His maiden goal for the side came in his last outing, in a 2-2 draw against league leaders Sporting.
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