Luis Guilherme, an 18-year-old player from Palmeiras, has been attracting attention in the football world for some time now.
Among the many great players emerging from Verdão’s youth teams, he is undoubtedly one of the most promising.
Get to know this young talent who is increasingly making his mark in the professional squad.
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Index
Luis Guilherme’s Journey
Luis Guilherme Lira dos Santos, or simply Luis Guilherme, was born on February 9, 2006, in the beautiful city of Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
Although born in the Brazilian Northeast, he moved to São Paulo at a very young age, joining Palmeiras’ youth teams at just 11 years old in 2017.
He is another perfect example of the excellent scouting work done by the Palestrina team since its restructuring in 2015.
Due to his technical superiority compared to other players in the same age group, he didn’t have a linear trajectory in his development.
In 2021 and 2022, while still playing for the under-17 team, he was called up to join the under-20 squad, playing in three opportunities.
His quality is evident by the fact that Palmeiras’ under-20 team in those years was quite strong.
In 2022, playing for the under-17 team, he shone on the field, showcasing his abilities. He played 22 matches and scored 19 goals.
When it comes to youth football, he’s a trophy magnet.
He has already won two Copa São Paulo de Futebol Jr., the most prestigious youth tournament in Brazil. Additionally, he was a champion of the Copa do Brasil under-17 and the Brasileirão of the same category.
As if that weren’t enough, he is a regular feature in the Brazilian national youth team selections and won the South American under-20 Championship in 2023.
As a result, coach Abel Ferreira called him up to the professional team in 2023.
So far, he has been gradually integrated, just as the Portuguese coach prefers.
Like in the case of Endrick and other young talents from the academy, Abel Ferreira introduces the youngsters gradually, so they don’t feel too much pressure representing a club like Palmeiras and can play their best football.
Despite criticism from some sectors, the Portuguese coach’s strategy works.
Luis Guilherme signed his professional contract in 2023, valid until June 2026.
He is represented by Un1que Football, Nicolo Arcuri Junior’s agency, which also represents Real Madrid’s forward Rodrygo, among many other top-level athletes.
In the mentioned contract, his release clause was set at €55 million.
Currently, he has a market value of €17 million.
Image: Reproduction Instagram
Characteristics and Playing Style
Luis Guilherme is 1.75m tall, left-footed, and plays as a right winger.
Although not tall, when seen on the field, he gives off this impression.
As suggested in the title, he is a player with long strides, full of explosive energy.
All of this combined with excellent ball control makes him quite unpredictable when he has the ball at his feet at speed.
He manages to deviate from the logic of many wingers, especially young ones, who constantly try to thread the play inside, thereby telegraphing their next move to the defender. Instead, when he senses that the path through the center is closing, he can drive the ball forcefully towards the byline.
Moreover, he’s strong. Even among professionals, he has the physical ability to withstand tackles from defenders and stay on his feet, looking to play the ball forward.
According to data from the Wyscout platform, Luis Guilherme has a dribble success rate of 64.9% and a total successful action rate of 57%. This is considering both international youth competitions and professional games.
He also has a passing accuracy of 79.4%, an interesting statistic considering his age and the position he plays.
The not-so-positive aspect about the player is his effective contributions to goals. Or rather, the lack thereof.
While he was a prolific goalscorer in his youth days, this hasn’t translated into the professional level yet.
In 37 matches, he hasn’t provided any assists or scored goals.
Of course, he has had limited playing time in these 37 matches, specifically 1049 minutes.
Nevertheless, this is an area where Abel Ferreira and his coaching staff must be working. It’s essential for the player, in his position, to have the hunger to put the ball in the net.
Therefore, his finishing and specific game understanding of when to shoot should also be improved.
Image: Leonardo Benhossi
Future Prospects and Evaluation
Luis Guilherme has good prospects in the top-tier international football, provided he addresses the aforementioned points.
As is known, football has become increasingly physical, making room for explosive and speedy players, like the young Palmeiras talent.
In this regard, the possibility of playing at a high level in the top European teams, Luis Guilherme, deserves a rating of 8.1.
Image: Fabio Menotti/Palmeiras
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
