Who Is Carlos Vinicius? All You Need to Know About the Liverpool & Chelsea Target
By 90min
Liverpool have joined Chelsea and Manchester United in monitoring Benfica striker Carlos Vinicius.
The 24-year-old has had a prolific season for the Eagles and looks likely to be departing Lisbon in the summer in order to progress his footballing career.
But who is he? Here's what you need to know about the Brazilian...
Scoring 14 goals in the first half of the 2018/19 season, Vinicius then moved to Monaco on a six-month loan deal. Despite only scoring twice, Benfica moved to sign the forward in July 2019 for around €18m on a five-year-contract until 2024.
The Playing Style
Despite standing tall at 6'3, Vinicius is not a striker known for winning aerial duels. Rather, it is his speed and dribbling ability that is his main strength.
The Brazilian is highly skilled and scores most of his goals in the style of a 'poacher' using his deadly left-foot. His link-up-play is also a strong part of his game, as he has a strong assist tally for the season.
The Stats
Benfica are leading the Primeira Liga this season and the strong performances of the former Rio Ave forward has certainly been a key factor. This season, Vinicius has 14 in 18 league appearances, making him the top scorer in the league. The fact that eight appearances have been off the bench emphasises his prolific nature in front of goal, making his season even more impressive.
14 - Carlos Vinicius has scored more goals (14) and has a better mins/goal ratio (68) than any other player in the Primeira Liga this season. Pose. pic.twitter.com/zQKqDZITaq
— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) February 12, 2020
The 24-year-old has scored a goal every 68 mins, and has averaged just over 2 shots on target a game. He's also got five assists to his name, showing off his ability to create as well as score.
If manager Bruno Lage gives him regular starts, Vinicius is capable of scoring and creating more and the potential is there for him to become a regular 20 goal-a-season striker.
The Release Clause
If you like the sound of him joining your club, then you should probably be prepared to pay up for the Brazilian. His contract includes a release clause of a hefty €100m (or £84m and change) and will only expire in 2024.
Clearly, Benfica have prepared for the possibility of his departure and the transfer fee may put off interested suitors unless they have the budget to afford his signing.
