Arrived at OM with a status of “nugget” for 8 M €, Luis Henrique inevitably caused a lot of talk during the first part of the season and especially when the crisis gripped the club. We then spoke of quack, not to say a scam at such an amount of transfer. It was to forget a little quickly that the kid from Botafogo was only 18 years old when he arrived (19 today) and presented no reference, except for a few matches of the Brazilian 1st division last year and a reputation as a supersonic winger to polish among the South American scouts. But, with a few months of adaptation, Luis Henrique is silencing the scoffers, evidenced by his four assists in as many matches, and in particular the last two against Brest (3-1). Suddenly, we begin to wonder if Longoria was not right when he spoke of a big grip on the nose and beard of other European teams.
“Sampaoli has seen him several times when playing with Botafogo, he knows his reputation and knows how to use it”
In any case, this outbreak is not surprising in Brazil, where we had already begun to detect the qualities of the native of João Pessoa when he came into play with Botafogo. “We still see him as an impact player with his speed, Brazilian football specialist Dominique Baillif explains to Phocéen, but what he does technically is very consistent. What is interesting is that Sampaoli has seen him several times when playing with Botafogo, he knows his reputation and knows how to use it “. A reputation that is starting to be talked about in Ligue 1, but also in the press of his country. “We talked about his two assists against Brest, and more generally in the context of the debut of Sampaoli. They think that the Argentinian can help Luis Henrique to reveal himself. Afterwards, we do not do too much either. This will certainly be the case when he starts, because in addition to the presence of Sampaoli who remains a mediatized technician in Brazil, OM are a popular club there “.
“If there are injuries or bad shapes in the U23s and he ends the season with a cannonball, why not?”
Under the magnifying mirror of OM, Luis Henrique can actually boost his performance much faster than elsewhere. Enough to make people talk about him to integrate a selection in Brazil in the short term? Sandro Becker, a former Brazilian player who has been incubating Luis Henrique since he was a teenager, has no doubts: “He is now in the right place, at the right time and with the right coach. He has a profile that Sampaoli likes, and we are finally going to see the real Luis Henrique. He is a rare gem. You have only seen 40 % of Luis. He will play for the Seleção one day, that’s for sure “. For the great Seleção, it will still be necessary to show a lot more. On the other hand, it is not impossible that in case of rapid confirmation with OM, his name quickly goes back to the ears of the coaches of youth teams. “The next international event in Brazil will be the Olympics, since all competitions are suspended for the moment in South America, explains Dominique Baillif. A priori, the places are taken and Luis Henrique will still have to wait to hope to integrate the U23, because Brazil should align players of 22 or 23 years who are holders in their clubs. Afterwards, if there are injuries or deformities and he ends the season with a cannonball, why not? Especially if they are players of the Brazilian league, because they will always be a little less considered than those who play abroad. In this case, his name could be mentioned, even if he is far away for the moment “.
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