Why Arsenal should go all out for Brazilian starlet Brenner
According to claims from Calciomercato (h/t The Sun), Arsenal are among a host of Premier League clubs understood to be chasing highly-rated Brazilian striker Brenner, who currently plies his trade with Sao Paulo in his homeland.
The Gunners, though, are expected to face stiff competition from Italian trio Juventus, Lazio and AC Milan in their pursuit of the 20-year-old. Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax have also been credited with an interest in the former Brazil U-17 international (Calciomercato h/t The Sun).
Profile
Brenner joined Sao Paulo’s youth system in 2011 and made rapid progress, making his senior professional debut in the 2017 Brasileiro Serie A. He scored 3 times in 19 appearances for Sao Paulo in the following campaign before spending time on loan at fellow top-flight club Fluminense in 2019.
Having played a bit-part role earlier in his career, the 20-year-old has really come to the fore for Sao Paulo this season. Brenner has bagged an impressive tally of 15 goals and 3 assists in just 25 games across all competitions for the Brazilian outfit. The youngster’s prolific form in his homeland has drawn admiration from the scouts of several top European clubs, with Arsenal among the interested parties.
Brenner has also represented Brazil at U-17 and U-20 levels, winning the U-17 South American Championship with the former.
Arsenal would benefit from Brenner’s potential
Unai Emery’s ill-fated managerial stint at the Emirates marked the rise to prominence of several academy graduates and his successor Mikel Arteta has continued to place his trust in the club’s youngsters.
Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka have all been a part of the Gunners’ senior set-up over the past 12 months while Eddie Nketiah has also made significant strides in his development since returning from his loan spell at Leeds United.
Besides promoting some top-quality talent from the academy to the first-team, Arsenal have also made a genuine attempt to enrich their ranks by scouring distant corners of the globe for hot emerging prospects. Those claims are well substantiated by their capture of Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Martinelli last summer.
Martinelli went on to enjoy a stunning debut season in North London, scoring 10 times in 26 appearances across all competitions last term. The 19-year-old has already started to deliver on his massive potential and looks set for a bright future at Arsenal.
To put things into perspective, Arsenal successfully beating off competition for Brenner would hand yet another boost to their long-term plans. The young striker has progressed by leaps and bounds in Brazil over the past 12 months. His impressive returns at Sao Paulo this season clearly lie testament to his talent and potential.
Brenner has not only proven himself to be a cut above the rest in the domestic league in Brazil but has also made his mark against other elite-level opposition in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
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Verdict
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang committed his long-term future to Arsenal earlier in the year but the Gunners need to line up some younger alternatives with one eye on the future. Alexandre Lacazette has been in fine form this season but his long-term future in North London remains unresolved, with the Frenchman’s contract set to expire in 2022.
Having said that, Arsenal have every reason to look at Brenner as someone who could potentially take over the reins from their first-choice strikers in the years to come. The 20-year-old might not be the finished article just yet but the Gunners could have a real gem on their hands if he turns out to be a player in a mould similar to Martinelli.
