Youngster attracts attention during Under-17 World Cup, and Chelsea and Manchester United initiate contacts to try to sign him.
The Brazil Under-17 national team finished the World Cup in fourth place, with a penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the third-place playoff after elimination to Portugal in the semi-final, also on penalties.
Even without the title, the good campaign in the competition held in Qatar attracted the spotlight to Gremio centre-back Luis Eduardo. According to Diario AS in Spain, the youngster has entered Manchester United and Chelsea‘s sights, after observations from scouts on the ground during the World Cup.
Still according to the publication, the two English clubs have already initiated contacts with the player's entourage and opened a kind of battle for the signing of the Gremio gem.
Gremio prospect has €60m release clause
Should they indeed submit proposals for Luis Eduardo, United and Chelsea will have to open their coffers. In June this year, Gremio renewed the youngster's contract and set a release clause of €60m (£53m) for foreign clubs.
The prospect's new deal with the club runs until 31st May 2028. The previous one expired in January 2027. The valuation is part of a plan Gremio have for Luis Eduardo to gain more space in the squad from 2026. The youngster is viewed by the club as a centre-back with the potential to be a starter in the near future – if, of course, he remains at the Tricolor.
Luis Eduardo has in fact already made his professional debut in 2025. He came on during the 1-0 victory over Ypiranga in the Campeonato Gaucho.
38km/h sprint explains English interest
Luis Eduardo was a mainstay for the Selecao at the Under-17 World Cup, as well as having been captain of the South American Championship-winning side. But the moment that “changed the life” of Luis Eduardo came even before wearing the green and yellow shirt.
At the start of this year, the centre-back won over the Gremio fans with a sprint in which he reached an incredible 38km/h to prevent a Red Bull Bragantino goal in a decisive Copinha clash.
ISSO É SER GRÊMIO! 🇪🇪 Ontem, o zagueiro Luis Eduardo mostrou o que é ter espírito Imortal, que não desiste nunca. Depois de uma arrancada espetacular, ele salvou o que seria o terceiro gol do Bragantino. Na sequência, empatamos a partida e garantimos a classificação na… pic.twitter.com/UbY5oOcEHa
— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio) January 18, 2025
The play was so emblematic that it went viral on social media and attracted the spotlight to the youngster, in the campaign that took the Tricolor to the semi-final of the competition. And it also helps explain why the two Premier League giants showed interest in signing him.
From an early age, Luis Eduardo has stood out for characteristics that appeal to English football. The youngster is considered a centre-back with physical presence and good intensity and pace. The defender also has good technique to initiate build-up play. So much so that he played as a full-back on his first-team debut.
“To this day the lads talk about it, my own friends too. From my hometown, they say: ‘Wow, Luis, it looked like you were chasing cattle.' The coach even said we won the game on that sprint. That was when I got recognition from the fans. Because it is very much the Gremio way. Gremio really like fighting spirit. And that showed a bit of it,” said the centre-back in a recent interview with Trivela.
This article was originally published on Trivela.
