PROFILE | Luis Henrique rewards Marseille’s patience | OneFootball

Ahead of this year, Luis Henrique’s name would have been met with derision. Since joining Marseille in 2020 from the Brazilian outfit Três Passos, the winger has by all accounts been a transfer flop and like a bad penny, Les Phocéens could not seem to rid themselves of him.

He had returned in January from a year-and-a-half-long loan at former club Botafogo. The Brazilian side had the option to make the deal permanent but didn’t exercise it as interest was fairly low following what was ultimately a disappointing stay back in his homeland.

Marseille likewise did not plan on keeping Henrique beyond January. However, an intervention from then-manager Gennaro Gattuso, who had been impressed by the winger filling in the gaps for a squad decimated by injuries and absences from the Africa Cup of Nations, was enough to keep him at the club beyond the winter transfer window.

Gattuso did not last very long into the year and his interim replacement Jean-Louis Gasset was similarly intrigued by the winger. Under Gasset, Henrique became a useful option in the first team, a player the coach believed could be played anywhere and do a bit of everything. “I carry him around. I can put him left, right, at the back. He’s my Swiss army knife.”

Henrique one of De Zerbi’s most trusted

While all of these head coaches appreciated Henrique’s skillset, none have quite understood him as much as Roberto De Zerbi. Under the Italian, the winger has grown from a player who had scored only once in his entire Marseille career before the 2024/25 campaign to one that has recorded six goals. Henrique is on course for a career-best season with the winger also registering four assists.

De Zerbi has allowed Henrique to flourish and helped the player to have the confidence to take his chances. The flexibility of the winger has been highly appreciated by the Italian coach who has fielded him as a midfielder and also as a wing-back in a three-at-the-back system that has been used in wins against Lens, Monaco, and Saint-Étienne.

Henrique has come on leaps and bounds since the start of the season and should be understood as one of the key attacking threats within a team that is hoping to remain hot on Paris Saint-Germain’s trail for the entire season. It cannot be understated how impressive this transformation has been for the young Brazilian.

GFFN | Nick Hartland