Ramon Rique, 18, impresses Renato’s staff and steps up to Vasco’s first team | OneFootball

Ramon Rique has been moved into Vasco’s first-team group after encouraging Copa Sudamericana showings. According to Globo.com, the 18-year-old midfielder will spend the coming days training with Renato Gaúcho’s squad.

He came on in the second half in Santiago on Wednesday and helped Vasco turn the match around against Audax Italiano.

The coaching staff have rated his two Sudamericana appearances positively. He started the win over Olimpia after Tchê Tchê felt unwell during the warm-up.

He had been due to return to the under-20s to face Santos in the Brasileirão at São Januário on Thursday night. Instead, he was the only academy player from the Sudamericana squad instructed by the senior staff to skip the youth fixture.

He will now follow first-team routines and undergo physical testing with the senior group.

There is no decision yet on whether he will be named to face Athletico-PR on Sunday in the 15th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The plan is for him to be increasingly integrated with the senior squad.

An academy product, Rique signed his first professional contract last year, initially to the end of 2026, with a clause activated last season to extend it to September 2029. His release clause is 60 million euros, about R$346 million at current rates. He joined as a left-sided midfielder, then moved deeper and is now a reference point for the youth side.

Source: Globo.com