Getty Francisco Trincao will join Barcelona from Braga
Francisco Trincao will join Barcelona from Braga in the summer and is already being compared to Neymar.
Former Portugal international Nuno Gomes has offered a bit of insight on the 20-year-old and sees some similarities with former Barcelona star Neymar. He also told Sport that he feels Trincao is ready for the challenge of playing for Barcelona.
“Trincao is very good and is very young. It’s a big step for him to play for Barcelona. Let’s see how things develop. I believe he is ready to play. If you look at him from an early age until now he’s improved a lot. For him it doesn’t matter if he’s playing against Porto or Benfica or a lower team. He plays the game for fun. You can never expect what he will do. So maybe, with all due respect, he’s like Neymar, because Neymar is also a player who is unpredictable with the ball and Trincao looks a little bit like him, he plays on the wing also.”
Barcelona and Braga agreed a deal in January for Trincao to sign on a five-year deal for €31 million ($35m). His buyout clause is set at an eye-watering €500m ($568m).
Trincao Has Impressed in 2020
Trincao has shone in 2020 and has been the standout player in the top-flight in Portugal, as highlighted by his club’s Twitter account.
🔥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬, o ano de Trincão 🔥
▪ Melhor marcador da #LigaNOS desde janeiro (7)
▪ Jogador com maior participação direta em golos desde janeiro (10)
▪ Em 19/20, o atleta é até ao momento aquele que menos minutos precisou para contribuir para o golo: 65″
The youngster is the league’s top scorer since January with seven goals, has been directly involved in more goals than any other player and also possesses the best goal contributions per minute ratio.
He’s also been making headlines in Spain ahead of his summer move to the Camp Nou. Barcelona has already turned down an offer of €45 million ($50m) for the 20-year-old, according to Cristiana Cubero at Mundo Deportivo.
Could Trincao Play in Midfield?
Trincao is primarily a winger but will face stiff competition for a place in the Barcelona attack with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, Martin Braithwaite and Ansu Fati all competing for three spots.
Competition could be increased if Barcelona manage to sign Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan in the summer. The striker has been heavily linked with a move to the Camp Nou, and the Nerazzurri are no longer ruling out a summer exit.
Ivan San Antonio at Sport has reported Barcelona could use Trincao as an attacking midfielder instead and think he has the passing and dribbling skills to play infield successfully.
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New Barcelona Signing Francisco Trincao Compared to Neymar