Arsenal have been linked with a surprising move to sign Benfica wonderkid Goncalo Guedes this summer in a move that could cost them a stunning £40m, according to the Metro, so here’s a look at five facts about the Portuguese youngster – is he worth that kind of crazy fee?
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1) He made his senior debut this season
With just four appearances in the Portuguese top flight after making his debut in January this season, Goncalo Guedes is still very new to this level, so some Arsenal fans may be forgiven for wondering why their club might be considering paying a crazy £40m for him…
2) He’s a regular for Portugal at youth level
Yet to even make it to Under-21 level for Portugal, the 18-year-old does at least have plenty of experience at youth level for his country, with a total of 33 caps from Under-16s to Under-19s, scoring six goals.
3) He’s shone in the Segunda Liga
He may not have a great deal of exeperience at senior level, but he has performed well for Benfica’s B team in the second tier of Portuguese football, twice winning the Player of the Month award and scoring five goals in 19 games earlier this season.
4) He’s a free-kick specialist
He may not be a master at it just yet, but Guedes is becoming known for being something of a free-kick and long-range shot specialist, which could be part of the reason for the hype as these kinds of goals tend to attract generous amounts of attention.
5) He’s been compared with Ronaldo
Pacey, skillful young winger who can also play as a striker and has a good free-kick on him? Inevitably the Portuguese starlet has been compared with his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, though it’s fair to say the Real Madrid man had already progressed a little further when he was that age.