One of Tottenham’s young players caught the eye when he made his debut at his loan club and had his supporters raving about him.
Tottenham’s January signing Souza is happy with how his loan at Porto is going despite finally making his unofficial debut on Friday.
Spurs brought in the 20-year-old left-back from Santos for £13m earlier this year, with manager Thomas Frank saying of the Brazilian at the time that the north London outfit had “acquired one of the brightest left-back talents in the world, he can give us something now and for the future”.
After a season in Brazil, Souza made four appearances in his first campaign while helping Santos avoid relegation alongside Neymar.
He moved to Porto in the summer window to ensure he gets the minutes he needs to continue his development. However, his first few weeks at the club saw him sit unused on the bench. Injuries to teammates in that position are expected to change with head coach Francesco Farioli deliberately working with the young defender on the training pitches to fit him into his system.
Souza finally got to show his supporters what he can do during the international break when he faced Porto La Coruña in a friendly against Deportivo on Friday and assisted Andre Silva’s goal in the Portuguese side’s 3-1 win.
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Sport Witness translated A Bola’s report on the game, claiming that the Tottenham defender “left the fans left” with his display and that he was “the real deal” and played at a “superb level”.
After the game, Souza said of his loan move to Porto: “I felt really good; I’m happy to make my debut in this nice, nice shirt. I want to highlight the squad that is ready to get back to league matches and competitive play.”
He added: “It’s been a better experience than I expected. Everyone at FC Porto has given me a warm welcome and is helping me with the adaptation process. I just want to give something back.”
Illness at Spurs interrupted the young Brazilian’s pre-season this summer and he was left out of Roberto De Zerbi’s touring squad for the tour of New Zealand and Australia to regain fitness. Souza has been identified by the Brazilian FA as one of close interest to Carlo Ancelotti for the future.
With Tottenham signing experienced Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson on a free transfer in the summer and Italy international Destiny Udogie also at the club, Souza’s minutes should have been limited this season, hence his move to Porto.
Real Madrid and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos was asked about the Tottenham left-back at the Portugal Football Summit this week and revealed that he believes all the hype around his young compatriot in his homeland will come true thanks to his ability.
“I don’t like to compare. He came to Porto because he has quality. He is a player who plays very well at Santos, it was a great transfer,” reports O Jogo. “I’m sure he’ll do what’s expected of him on the pitch, he’s a top-class player.”