Where are they now? A look back at ten lesser-known players to watch out for in the Primeira Liga from last season
Nearly one year ago, we wrote an article looking at ten lesser-known Primeira Liga players that potentially deserved to be playing at an even higher level. Now, we take a look at each of the ten and see where they are now.
From Braga to Feirense, and from goalkeepers to strikers, there were a range of names on the list for whatever a club may have needed, and half of the players have since moved on from their previous club.
Dyego Sousa
CLUB AT THE TIME: SC Braga. CLUB NOW: Shenzhen.
When writing the article back in December 2018, we were at the halfway point of the season and Dyego Sousa was both a man in demand, and in form.
Scoring for fun, the target man was a menace to many Primeira Liga defences, and was playing a vital role in ensuring that Braga were able to stay almost in touching distance of the leading pack. So much so, Benfica were widely reported to be interested in signing the powerful forward in the January window, a deal that for some time looked a serious posssibility.
That move never transpired though, and he remained a Braga player until the end of the season.
This is what we said about Dyego Sousa back in December: “The imposing, physical striker has spent several years in the Portuguese league now, dating back to 2013, and has really found his feet at Braga this season, having already got himself an impressive 10 goals in 13 league games - in addition to three assists - and is actually currently the league’s top scorer, ahead of star players such as Moussa Marega of Porto and Bas Dost of Sporting. He has, surely, been the best striker in Portugal this season - and yet he remains largely an unknown quantity across the continent. It’s time to put that to an end. With his goals crucial in helping Braga become early-season title challengers, the credit he deserves cannot be overstated.”
All of that was, and is, very much the case, and Dyego Sousa was more than deserving of a chance to test himself in an even more prestigious league. That said, he did ultimately go on a bit of a poor run of form; while he had 10 league goals after 13 Primeira Liga games, he went on to only get himself 5 more in the final 21, taking him from a man in demand to a man almost forgotten.
He still earned an illustrious move - financially at least. A transfer to China and Shenzhen followed for the final half of the Chinese Super League campaign, and he has been in good form in Asia; 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 outings has put him back on the map, and with the Chinese season soon coming to an end, a move away in January is more than possible. Now aged 30, he still has a lot to offer many a side.
Tozé
CLUB AT THE TIME: Vitoria de Guimaraes. CLUB NOW: Al-Nasr Dubai SC.
The diminutive midfielder was one of the stars of the Primeira Liga during his time with Guimaraes, his ability on the ball making him one of the great technical players often associated with the Portuguese game.
What he lacked in physicality and height he made up for in silky dribbling and creativity, and he arguably ended the season even stronger than he started it.
Here’s what we said about him back in December when we first put together that article: “An exceptional signing for a division two club in the likes of Spain, England and Italy, Tozé is also good enough for a side in a lower ranked top flight domestic league, as seen by the interest from Maccabi Tel Aviv and Red Star Belgrade, and he could potentially even hack it in the English Premier League. His size may come across as a real limiting factor though; for a central midfielder, he very much lacks the physicality you would want from a player plying their trade in the likes of the English top flight, but he makes up for it with great technical ability, possessing great movement and control of the ball. That said, the Spanish league is perhaps more suited to him.”
While the Spanish game certainly would have suited a player like Toze, who could be comapred in many ways to a player like Santi Cazorla, ultimately he too ended up leaving Europe, and instead moved away to the United Arab Emirates, joining Al-Nasr.
A shame, you could say; he was beginning to forge quite an exciting career having had a tough time with Porto before joining Guimaraes, but he opted to move out of the limelight instead.
He could always return, though. Still only 26 years of age, many would expect him to return to the European stage at some point in the future, be it to Portugal or elsewhere. We shall see.
Claudio Ramos
CLUB AT THE TIME: Tondela. CLUB NOW: Tondela.
The first person on this list who plays for the same club he did when the article was written back in December, shot-stopper Ramos has continued to impress for his Portuguese club, and although he hasn’t been called up to the Portugal squad for a while now, remains one of the most highly regarded Portuguese goalkeepers around right now.
This is what we said of him in December: “Claudio Ramos is almost certainly a lesser known name on the international scene, but having earned an international call-up with Portugal several times this season, his stock has surely risen significantly. And anyone who has seen his performances for Tondela in recent times will surely struggle to disagree with his inclusion in the side. Ramos has played for Tondela 194 times, and has been instrumental in helping his side defy the odds and survive relegation from the Primeira Liga in each of the past three seasons. With impressive reflexes and shot-stopping, Ramos is an excellent goalkeeper that could prove an outstanding signing for anyone who takes a punt on him.”
Those sentiments still remain true today; Ramos remains an impressive figure in between the sticks, and has only added to those 194 appearances for Tondela since. Indeed, he went on to play all 34 of Tondela’s Primeira Liga matches, and was crucial in Tondela pulling off yet another great escape from Primeira Liga relegation.
He has played - and been captain - in all of Tondela’s league matches this season too, keeping 4 clean sheets in the process.
Now 27, it could be the right time for him to move on and test himself elsewhere.
Shoya Nakajima
CLUB AT THE TIME: Portimonense. CLUB NOW: FC Porto.
Shoya Nakajima. At the time of writing, he was far from a well-known name, though rumours had already swirled that a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers was very much on the cards. Both Leicester and Southampton had also been tentatively linked with the Japanese playmaker, though a move to England never came about.
He ended up moving to Qatar in January - a move that both surprised and disappointed fans of the player himself, and of European football in general. A player of his talents, after all, deserves to represent a club on the biggest stage.
His time in Qatar was brief, though, and largely unsuccessful. 13 games in total with Rui Faria’s Al Duhail, and just the 2 goals to show for it. Many thought a move to PSG could then be on the cards, but a return to Portugal, and a move to Porto, followed instead. A logical step up from his brilliant endeavours with Portimonense.
This is what we said about Nakajima back in December: “It would have been something of a crime not to include Nakajima on this list, such was his level of performance last term for Portimonense. His dribbling ability was a sight to behold, and his incredible end product was the like of which we had rarely seen for a lower-level club in Portugal's top flight. Indeed, Nakajima earned himself a scarcely believable 10 goals and 12 assists in just 29 league outings last season as he almost single-handedly led his newly promoted side to a comfortable midtable position, and unsurprisingly his loan move from FC Tokyo quickly became a permanent transfer to Portimonense - for a fraction of his true value. He could certainly cope with a prestigious move to the Premier League or La Liga, there is absolutely no doubt about that, although the door remains open for any side across the continent to come in and grab a real gem of a player from under the noses of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.”
Porto seems like an excellent club for him to be at right now. Competing in European football, potentially Champions League football by next season, and with a logical step up from his time at Portimonense.
Andre Andre (Vitoria Guimarães)
CLUB AT THE TIME: Vitoria Guimaraes. CLUB NOW: Vitoria Guimaraes.
Now here’s one that simply hasn’t gone accorsing to script. When the article was wirtten back in December 2018, Andre Andre was a key player for Guimaraes and a famous face at the club. He was part of some tremendous investment by Guimaraes, signing the Portuguese midfielder from FC Porto.
He did a great job too in the centre of the park, as you would expect of someone of his stature and ability. However, the second half of last season was completely destroyed by injury, limiting him to just 3 outings in Guimaraes’ final 20 league fixtures. He is still injured now, and it’s difficult to say what the future could hold for the player ‘so good they named him twice.’
Here’s what we said about Andre Andre last December: “A well known name on Portuguese shores, Andre Andre first joined Porto in 2015, signing from Guimaraes for a fee of around 1.5 million euros. Now returning to the club, he is once again thriving. Andre Andre did have a good career at Porto though, notching up 94 appearances across just three seasons, providing 8 goals and 12 assists in the process from central midfield. He even has Champions League experience, having played in the elite competition 12 times in total. A move back to Guimaraes therefore seemed perfect though, for both club and player, and it really has turned out to be a perfect match, with Andre Andre a crucial player in their midfield, scoring 6 goals and bagging 2 assists in just 11 league matches. He has been instrumental in helping the club to maintain 5th place in Portugal’s top flight.”
Injury has completely scuppered any chance for the 30-year old to show what he can do over the last 12 months, though expected to return and slowly be integrated into the squad later this month, Andre Andre could still get his career back on track.
Ricardo Esgaio
CLUB AT THE TIME: SC Braga. CLUB NOW: SC Braga.
Esgaio is another that remains at the same club he was at back in December, but he has continued to impress for his Portuguese club.
A very solid performer who regularly does a good job regardless of whether he’s fielded as a right back or right-sided midfielder, with Braga competing on both fronts when it comes to Primeira Liga and Europa League football, having a player with his experience is crucial, and the 26-year old is very important to Sa Pinto’s plans.
From December: “The versatile right-sided player was key in Braga’s brilliant season last campaign, helping the club to the Europa League round on 32 with his defensive and offensive ability, as well as an exceptional points tally in the league, where they more than held their own against the Big Three of the league domestically. And he’s started this season in similar vein. His positional awareness, excellent crossing ability and consistent level of performance makes him an ideal right midfielder, while his versatility to play further forward or in defence means that he could be of great use to many top division sides.”
Carlos Vinicius
CLUB AT THE TIME: Rio Ave (on loan from Napoli) CLUB NOW: SL Benfica.
Carlos Vinicius was truly outstanding during his loan spell with Rio Ave last campaign, his blistering form ensuring Rio Ave steered well clear of relegation and were even looking up the table for a potential 5th place finish.
He was scoring for fun while with the Portuguese outfit, the now-24 year old getting a total of 14 goals in 20 appearances with Rio Ave last campaign across all competitions, and it was clear to see why he was so highly regarded.
While he could have gone on to have a tremendous season with Rio Ave, he was ultimately recalled from loan early, returning to Napoli before being sent out on loan to strugglin Monaco. His time in France was far from productive though, just 2 goals in 16 outings proving that sometimes stability is best for a player.
That poor stint in France did not deter Benfica though, who snapped up the Brazilian for no small fee, parting with 15 million euros to get the striker to return to Portuguese shores. Very much like Nakajima’s move to Porto, this seemed a logical next step for Vinicius, and he has done a good job for Benfica when given a chance.
In total, he has only started 1 league match for Benfica, but has 4 league goals to his name, averaging a truly mind-boggling 1 goal every 34 minutes in the Primeira Liga. An astonishing return for a player who has largely been playing second fiddle this campaign. That’s not mentioning the other two goals he’s already scored in the Portuguese Cup.
Here’s what we wrote about Vinicius back in December: “Carlos Vinicius has been a truly tremendous addition to the Rio Ave squad. Joining the Portuguese outfit on loan at the start of the season from Italian giants Napoli, he has lived up to everyone’s expectations. He has now found the back of the net for the club on 11 separate occasions - and that’s despite the fact that he has only played 12 games all season. A tremendous return for the 23-year old. Indeed, overall, Vinicius has found the back of the net once every 75 minutes this season, and has shown pace, technical ability and an obvious keen eye for goal. Whether Napoli would be interested in selling him after such a bright start to the season is another matter, but he is certainly one to watch out for - and sign.”
Benficawere certainly given similar advice and snapped him up - and he could prove to be a wonderful signing.
Davidson
CLUB AT THE TIME: Vitoria Guimaraes. CLUB NOW: Vitoria Guimaraes.
Another player who hasn’t moved club - yet, anyway - Davidson continues to make a name for himself, and his showing in the Europa League against Arsenal was the perfect platform to prove what he can do to a larger audience.
In total, he has 4 goals and 7 assists to his name already this season, though it is perhaps in European competition that he has thrived the most so far, particularly in the qualifying stages. His skill and trickery on the wing has been a joy to watch, and if he carries on like this, even aged 28 he could be set for a big move abroad.
Here’s what we said about him last December: “It would also be unacceptable to look past Andre Andre’s teammate Davidson when considering the top lower league players in Portugal. Competing with some top quality footballers for a starting place at Guimaraes, including the likes of Ola John, Toze and Joao Carlos Teixeira, Davidson has well and truly cemented a place for himself in the starting lineup. Having arrived at the club from Chaves this summer, Davidson has played in every single one of Vitoria’s 12 league matches this season, and has grabbed three goals and 4 assists in the process. But it’s not just his goal contribution that has been impressive; his flair and creativity on the wing has been a sight to behold, the 27-year old winger always looking lively."
Alhassan Wakaso
CLUB AT THE TIME: Vitoria Guimaraes. CLUB NOW: Vitoria Guimaraes.
Like Andre Andre, injury has hampered Wakaso’s showings this season, though he is another player that, when fit, is a great midfield presence, and the fact that Guimaraes haven’t felt his absence too much is testament to the quality of the squad they have now put together.
In December: “Wakaso makes this list simply due to his sheer consistency from defensive midfield. The tenacious 26-year old is not afraid to commit to a challenge to try and break up attacks, while also possessing the pace to track back for recoveries.”
Tiago Silva
CLUB AT THE TIME: Feirense. CLUB NOW: Nottingham Forest.
Tiago Silva was the man to round off the list - and deservedly so. While his Feirense side ultimately went on to get relegated by the end of the season, that was by no means an indication of the quality of Tiago Silva, who continued to impress in a side otherwise bereft of talent and confidence.
A hard-working attacking midfielder, he wasn’t the traditional advanced playmaker in the sense that he was always willing to track back and put in a tackle, so much so that his disciplinary record was either appalling or tremendous, depednign on how you look at it. 13 yellow cards in total last season tells you all you need to know about his tenacity and work rate.
But of course, as an attacking midfielder, it wasn’t the defensive side of his game that was most impressive, but his technical ability. Not the most physical player, he made up for it with his aggressive style, but that wasn’t in place of his excellent flair, passing and ability on the ball.
With his side relegated, he earned a move to the historic emblem of Nottingham Forest and, while it was always bound to take time to acclimatise to a league renowned for its physicality, has generally performed well and is always improving.
Back in December, this is what we had to say about Silva: “Feirense’s number 10 showed his capabilities in the first match of this season, taking the ball down from outside the box and firing into the top corner, the opposition keeper only able to watch on as it flew by him, before then playing an inch-perfect delivery from a deep free-kick to assist the second goal of the game. His keen eye for goal and exquisite passing range were summed up in that match alone, while he even showed the tenacity and desire fans look for in a player, tracking back to help defensively when required. The 25 year old has the movement and dribbling ability one looks for in a playmaker, and deserves an opportunity at a higher level.“
Andre Andre in 2015 while playing for Porto. Photo author: Илья Хохлов. License link.
