Castro could give Grêmio academy gem a chance; find out why | OneFootball

Grêmio’s return to the pitch this Thursday, right after the FIFA international break, brings a major tactical challenge for coach Luís Castro.

The clash against Palmeiras exposed a hole at Tricolor’s left-back position: starter Marlon is sidelined with the medical department, and his immediate backup, Caio Paulista, cannot face his former club due to contractual issues unless the board pays an extremely high fee, a scenario that has already been ruled out.

With this puzzle on his hands, the coaching staff has looked to the youth academy and sees 18-year-old Pedro Gabriel as the most likely solution, according to ge.

The young talent already trains regularly with the senior squad at CT Luiz Carvalho and is waiting for his first opportunity under the Portuguese coach.

So far, his experience with the first team comes down to two matches played at the start of 2025, still under Gustavo Quinteros.

This season, Pedro was one of the standout players in Grêmio’s Copinha campaign, taking part in seven matches and scoring one goal before the team was knocked out in the semifinal by Cruzeiro.

If he does not convince in training this week, Luís Castro’s only remaining option will be to improvise center-back Viery in the role.

With the youngster on the verge of being thrown in, the board is already working behind the scenes to protect him.

The full-back is under contract until mid-2026, but there is already a verbal agreement to extend that deal until December 2029, with only the paperwork left to be signed.

This renewal is strategic, since the player has already drawn interest from clubs such as Cruzeiro, São Paulo, and Atlético-MG. Flamengo even signaled with a formal offer, which ended up being blocked by the player’s agent, Pablo Bueno.

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

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