FC Porto bolster defence with João Souza on loan from Tottenham | OneFootball

FC Porto have another new addition to the first-team squad. Souza arrives in Porto on loan from Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season and provides a new option for the defensive unit of Francesco Farioli’s side.

Born in Mauá, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, the 20-year-old left-back took his first steps in futsal after joining the Santos FC academy. His technical quality allowed him to adapt to football and begin playing on grass as a winger, although he only occupied that position for a short time.

While coming through the youth ranks at Peixe, he earned a place among the starters for the under-17s and stood out in the age group’s Campeonato Paulista. Wearing the captain’s armband, he signed his first professional contract in July 2022 and pointed to “speed and dribbling ability” as his main attributes. “I defend well, but I’m very attack-minded, I like to get forward,” he said at the time.

Those performances led to a move up to the under-20s a few months later. His development continued over the following two seasons, and his excellent start to 2024, with one goal and two assists in 13 games, earned him a place in the first team at the age of 17. Santos FC then moved to renew his contract, and João Souza went on to make 38 senior appearances in South America before heading to Europe to join Tottenham Hotspur.

Signed by the London club in January this year, the 1.83-metre player made his debut at the age of 19 at Old Trafford against Manchester United, becoming the youngest Brazilian ever to play for Spurs. As he adapted to the Premier League, he continued to gain minutes and was included on the initial Golden Boy shortlist, the only Brazilian left-back among the nominees.

With 12 caps for the under-17 national team, FC Porto’s new number 33 featured in every one of Brazil’s matches at the 2023 South American Championship, a competition they ended by winning. Later, he was called up for the age group’s World Cup and played in every match of the run to the quarter-finals, where the team were eliminated by Argentina.

In his first experience in Portugal, João Souza now looks to bring intensity and technical quality to a squad competing on four fronts: the Portuguese League, the Champions League, the Portuguese Cup and the League Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.