Once again, you get to know the future football stars first here, at Calcio Deal.
It’s not a rerun, but once again, we bring a young talent with enormous potential from the Santos F.C. academy, Fernando Pradella, popularly known as Tanque (Tank).
Join us as we delve into the expectations surrounding this 15-year-old lad.
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Index
History and Characteristics of Fernando Pradella
The Journey So Far
Fernando Pradella, or simply Fernando Tanque, was born on March 7, 2008, in the city of Osasco, situated in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil.
At first glance, his nickname draws attention. After all, how can we liken a child to a tank?
The answer becomes apparent upon seeing the lad. Despite being just 15 years old, the striker boasts a physique that stands out compared to other players in his age group.
According to the OGol platform, Pradella was said to measure 175cm and weigh 61kg. However, further research suggests he might already be around 182cm. An impressive figure.
He might even grow taller during his teenage development.
Despite his young age, and joking aside, Fernando Tanque can be considered a veteran. Sources indicate that the player has already gone through the youth systems of São Paulo, Corinthians, Audax, among others.
He began by playing futsal, following the footsteps of many other Brazilian football maestros, at the age of four.
His transition to the field is recent, although he quickly adapted to the new positioning and dimensions of the pitch.
For this reason, in his first year at Santos in 2022, he delivered promising performances, yet the current level of expectation hadn’t been set.
During that year, he was the top scorer in the Paulista Cup under-14 category, netting 8 goals, and started his transition to the under-15, playing some matches in the Campeonato Paulista of that category.
Image: Santos F.C. Reproduction
In 2023, now playing in the correct age group, the under-15s, he secured a starting position. Early in the year, Santos clinched the Copa Votorantim, an important tournament in which several prominent teams participate (similar to the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior), defeating Palmeiras in the final.
The top scorer? None other than Fernando Tanque. But that’s not all. He was also named the best player of the tournament.
That was just the beginning of the year for Tanque. Santos also triumphed in the Copa Nike, beating Corinthians. No need to guess who shone in the competition. Once again, the lad from Osasco was the top scorer and the tournament’s best player.
All these achievements at such a young age earned him a call-up to the Brazilian under-15 national team.
As if that weren’t enough, Fernando Pradella holds the longest-standing current contract with Nike.
His career is managed by UJ Football Talent.
Image: Dhavid Normando/Fotojump
Playing Style
Fernando Tanque’s playing style already reflects much of his nickname’s implications. However, he goes beyond that.
Taking inspiration from one of the greatest, if not the greatest centre-forward in football history, Ronaldo “Fenômeno,” Pradella is the typical number 9.
Playing as a centre-forward, he uses his physical strength to shield the ball and make well-defined plays.
His finishing ability is simply astounding. He’s very astute at finding spaces for the shot, meaning that when marked, with body feints and short dribbles, he finds openings to shoot with finesse.
What’s most surprising for a player of his age is that he uses both legs, making it initially challenging to determine if he’s right or left-footed.
Many players in this age bracket are still developing technically, facing difficulties in basic skills like control, passing, and shooting. Fernando, apparently, isn’t.
Image: Santos F.C. Reproduction
Future Outlook and Evaluation
The belief that Fernando Pradella will become a great player is strong. However, some considerations need to be made beforehand.
His extremely dominant physical stature compared to players in his age group can be a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, he exerts significant dominance over his peers, and evidently, his movements are tied to this style of play.
A significant amount of groundwork (which is precisely what youth systems are for) needs to be laid so that the player possesses alternative playing styles. When he moves to the professional level, his physical strength will be matched or even surpassed.
That said, he possesses qualities that undeniably showcase his talent. The player has a nose for goal, is a natural scorer, skillful, intelligent, and highly technical. Not to mention his aforementioned height and physical strength.
Furthermore, being part of Santos’ youth setup traditionally tends to maximize the potential of young players, especially given the culture of the city and the club.
For these reasons and with a greater degree of caution due to the player’s age, the potential to play at a high level in the top-tier European clubs, Fernando Pradella, aka Tanque, receives a rating of 8.1.
Image: Maurícia da Matta / CBF
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
