Scout Report: Florentino Luis- Benfica starlet linked with move to Man City
According to claims from renowned Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Man City have identified Benfica starlet Florentino Luis as a potential option to replace Fernandinho at the heart of the midfield.
Florentino was promoted to Benfica’s senior team only in February earlier in the year but the 19-year-old has made an instant impact in the Primeira Liga since making his debut a couple of months back.
The Portuguese U20 international has made a total of 9 appearances for Benfica in all competitions this season and Man City have set their sights on him as a player for the future.
As Pep Guardiola’s side get ready to snap up the highly-rated teenager, let us get a deeper insight into one of the most promising young talents in Portuguese football- Benfica’s Florentino Luis.
Background
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, to parents of Angolan descent, Florentino Luis started his youth career at lower division club Real S.C. before joining Benfica’s youth setup in 2010. He made his professional debut with Benfica’s reserve team in 2016, aged 18.
A regular for Portugal at all youth levels upto U20, the 19-year-old has accumulated a total of 65 caps for his nation, though he is yet to earn a call-up to the senior squad.
Style of Play
Luis currently stands at 6ft., though one would expect him to gain a couple of inches more in the years to come. Primarily a defensive midfielder by trade, the youngster has earned plaudits very early in his career for his well-rounded attributes.
The Portuguese teenager not only excels in a deep role in the middle of the park as a shield for the rearguard but he also tends to press the opposition higher up the pitch to win possession back for his team with tackles and interceptions.
The youngster, though aggressive in nature, has shown maturity beyond his tender years both in terms of decision-making and composure in possession, while also showcasing the ability to dismantle the opposition with his controlled aggression.
Coming to his strengths as a specialist No.6 in the midfield, tackling is certainly one of the key attributes in his game. It is quite rare to see young defensive midfielders time their challenges to perfection throughout the ninety minutes but Florentino seems to be a guy from a different planet.
Blessed with the speed of thought and the sharpness to anticipate and react quicker than the opposition, Luis consistently gets himself into the right positions to win possession back for his team with well-timed tackles.
A tough-tackling all-action midfield enforcer in the making, Luis also uses his awareness to make crucial interceptions in the middle of the park.
Calm and comfortable in possession, Luis has a good range of passing as well and can keep things ticking in the midfield with his impressive distribution and uncompromised work-rate.
He has got all the qualities to evolve into a fine player but the most impressive thing about him is his ability to combine the different aspects of his game.
What does the future hold?
Florentino Luis has broken into the first team at Benfica but he still has a long way to go in the developmental phase of his career.
Agreed, he is an incredibly talented player with mountains of potential but he still needs to work on the rough edges in his game if he is to make an impact in the Premier League, and more importantly, at a title-contending club like City.
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Even if a move does materialize, he definitely won’t be a replacement for Fernandinho by any means. City should rather look at him as a player for the future.