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Why Liverpool are being linked ‘The Joker’ from Sao Paulo

Published

10 months ago

November 10, 2023

Lucas Beraldo to Liverpool? Sao Paulo’s ‘Joker’ is a seriously impressive ball-playing centre-back

The Reds are searching for a left-sided central defender, and the 19-year-old Brazilian will be made available for the right price

The first thing you notice about Lucas Beraldo is not the composure in possession. Or even the impressive range of passing for a centre-back. No, it’s the smile, the broad, borderline maniacal grin he sports as he lines up before every Sao Paulo game; the one that’s earned him the nickname ‘The Joker’.

It’s certainly a little strange. But there is a method to the apparent madness. “For all those who call me crazy when I laugh and smile during the national anthem, it’s a mental technique that I’ve been doing to get into games feeling calmer, to avoid feeling anxious,” Beraldo explained in May. “And it’s been working.”

No arguments, there. Beraldo’s work with high-performance coach Beto Ferraz has paid off big time, with the 19-year-old now being linked with the likes of Liverpool after a breakout season at Sao Paulo…

Beraldo grew up in Piracicaba, a city located in the state of Sao Paulo. It was a happy childhood, full of football and milkshakes, given his father, Andre, a former defender, ran an ice cream parlour with his wife Leia Lopes (they now have two!).

While Andre indulged his son’s sweet tooth, he insists he never pushed ‘Luquinhas’ into following in his footsteps by playing at centre-half. “It was a big surprise for me, to tell you the truth,” he told Globo. “Lucas has always liked football, since he was little, and when you play as a child, you don’t have much of a position; you just always run around a lot.

“But when he started positioning himself on the field, he always liked playing at the back, being a defender. He played at left-back and midfield at times, but his favourite position was central defender. So, I just tried to help him as best I could.”

Beraldo lined out for Red Bull Brasil, Uniao Barabarense, and XV de Piracicaba as a kid before being snapped up by Sao Paulo in 2020. The move to Cotia meant leaving his family and beloved ‘Sonho de Valsa’ and ‘Ovomaltine’ milkshakes behind – but offered Beraldo an incredible opportunity to develop his skills at one of the best talent academies in world football.

The big break

Sao Paulo supporters first began to take notice of Beraldo after some impressive showings in last year’s Copa Sao Paulo. Their side had been beaten in the semi-finals of the prestigious Under-20s tournament by Endrick’s Palmeiras, but the young centre-back earned praise for his comfort on the ball and his leadership skills. It led to a professional debut in the 2022 Copa Sudamericana, but regular first-team football seemed a long way off at that point.

However, injuries to three key defenders (Nahuel Ferraresi, Diego Costa and Robert Arboleda) earlier this year prompted then-coach Rogerio Ceni to put his faith in Beraldo. The teenager responded with a string of a staggeringly assured performances, as well as a first goal at senior level, in a 4-2 Brasileiro Serie A win over Vasco da Gama in May.

“It’s what I always dreamed of,” he enthused at the time. “I even joked today at home with my [high-performance] coach that I was going to score a goal and the Morumbi was going to chant my name – and it ended up happening!”

How it’s going

An ankle injury briefly threatened to check Beraldo’s remarkable rate of progress, but he reclaimed his starting spot to form a formidable centre-back pairing with Arboleda that provided the foundation for Sao Paulo’s first-ever Copa do Brasil title.

Unsurprisingly, his parents were incredibly proud of their boy for the role he played in a 2-1 aggregate win over defending champions Flamengo, with Beraldo playing every minute of the semis and final.

“At just 19, he will forever be part of the history of the club,” enthused mother Leia, who offered free ice cream to the entire Sao Paulo squad. “His growth as a person makes me very happy, the humility he has with everyone who approaches him. This is priceless.”

By that stage, though, many were already speculating how much money Sao Paulo might fetch for such a prodigiously gifted defender, with a host of European sides already lining up to sign him.

Biggest strengths

Beraldo is the epitome of a ball-playing centre-half, outrageously comfortable stepping out from back, and in between opposition attackers, and playing quick, vertical passes that release his team-mates into space.

Indeed, he rarely seems flustered, even when put under intense pressure, and the mere fact that he’s left-footed makes the Liverpool links easy to understand.

But there’s also the unusual levels of maturity and physicality for one so young, which have enabled him to handle going up against imposing centre-forwards all season long. “He’s a dedicated kid,” Rogerio said earlier this year. “He arrives early at training and always works well. I think he’s gaining great experience [from a defensive perspective] but he already creates more than the vast majority of defenders.”

Room for improvement

There’s no denying that Beraldo’s awareness and decision-making have to improve, as he can sometimes be caught in possession. He also misplaces the odd pass but, as former Sao Paulo boss Rogerio Ceni pointed out, that’s primarily because he’s tasked with taking so many risks with the ball at his feet.

It’s also worth pointing out that Beraldo’s lapses in concentration have become far less frequent because of his hugely beneficial work with Ferraz.

The next… William Saliba?

There have been inevitable comparisons with Eder Militao, given the Brazil and Real Madrid centre-back came through the youth academy at Sao Paulo before moving to Porto in 2018, and then on to the Santiago Bernabeu.

In truth, though, Beraldo shares more traits with William Saliba, the silky centre-back that’s become such a key member of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side because of pace, strength and excellent distribution of the ball.

What comes next?

A move to Europe already appears inevitable – it just seems a question of when. The sticking point will be the fee, as Sao Paulo are in a rather strong negotiating position.

As director of football Carlos Belmonte has already pointed out, the club knew that Gabriel Sara was worth at least twice the £6m ($7.4m) fee they agreed with Norwich last year. But the Tricolor “needed that money” at the time, so they took what they could get.

But Sao Paulo are no longer strapped for cash, so they have no intention of letting Beraldo leave on the cheap. “He won’t even go for twice as much [as Sara],” Belmonte warned. “Anyone who wants Beraldo will have to pay.” Not least because the youngster has just signed a contract extension until 2026 that contains a €60m (£52m/$64m) buy-out clause.

Sao Paulo won’t hold out for such a fee, but they will demand a fair price for a player that Wolves, Monaco and Fiorentina considered signing during the summer, and is now reportedly of interest to Porto. There have also been rumours of interest from not only Liverpool, but also Bayern Munich and Lyon.

It’s not yet clear where he’ll end up, then, but what we do know is that none of this transfer talk will faze Beraldo. The kid with the ‘Joker’ smile is a seriously impressive character.