Tottenham Hotspur’s first signing of the January window may end up being a player you’ve probably never heard of, but we can tell you all about Souza before he arrives.
It’s no secret that Thomas Frank is under pressure at Tottenham right now, so he could do with some reinforcements to freshen things up.
For a couple of years now, fans have lamented the lack of options at left-back. Until now, Destiny Udogie has been the only natural choice there, with Djed Spence often filling in despite preferring to play on the right.
Now, that could all change. And, given Tottenham’s growing injury crisis, the signing of Souza can’t come soon enough.
Tottenham step up approach for Souza
Spurs have been linked with Souza for a little while now, but speculation intensified in the first week of January. An initial £8m bid was knocked back by his club, Santos, who are keen to get closer to £26m.
However, Tottenham improved their bid for Souza to £13m amid reported interest from Chelsea, who are looking to hijack the move.
Thankfully, it is thought Souza is keen on joining Spurs. He likes the idea of living in London and playing in the Premier League, so it’s just a matter of agreeing a price with Santos now.
Souza’s career to date
Given he is only 19-years-old, Souza doesn’t have too much of a career to talk about. Indeed, he’s a one-club man so far, having grown up playing in the Santos academy before stepping up to the first team early in 2024.
The youngster has made 38 senior appearances for the Brazilian outfit, scoring one goal and registering four assists.
Souza has 12 caps at Under-17 level for Brazil, but all of those appearances came back in 2023.
What kind of player is Tottenham target Souza?
First and foremost, Souza is a left-back, as we already established. At the moment, he doesn’t really have the capability to play anywhere else, either.
In many ways, Souza is a typical Brazilian full-back; he loves to get forward when he can, and he’s got pace to burn. He’s the kind of player who will take risks when he’s got the ball, pushing up where possible and using his speed and skill to take opponents on.
Souza’s strengths and weaknesses
As mentioned above, Souza is very quick and athletic, with great agility and lots of skill on the ball. He’s brave and confident, with an attacking mentality that would suit any progressive, expansive style of play.
However, there are some concerns over Souza’s physical attributes. He’s rather lean, as any teenager normally is, and he may well struggle with the more hands-on style in the Premier League.
He’s also got work to do on his defensive awareness and discipline. Bombing forward as a full-back is all well and good, but he does have a propensity for getting caught out at the back.
What have people said about him?
Speaking to Sky Sports about Souza, Tim Vickery said: “He’s very, very impressive. He’s only 19… great footballer, versatile, attacks well. Can go on the outside, can cut inside as well.
“To have come through in his debut season, in a demanding environment, fighting against relegation and still doing well; that speaks volumes.”
However, Brazilian journalist Thiago Rabelo did send Spurs a warning in his analysis of Souza for Transfermarkt. He said: “I don’t see him ready for European football. He’s not even established in Brazil yet. This has been a big problem for many young players in Brazil. They leave the country very young and without establishing themselves at their formative club.
“Souza is a player who doesn’t arrive in Europe fully formed, but he is a player with a lot of potential to develop.”
Granted, we already knew Souza was more of an up-and-coming talent rather than the finished article. Indeed, Tottenham’s interest in Dayann Methalie aligns with this idea that the club is looking for a prospect rather than a ready-made option at left-back.
Souza’s personal details
Souza was born on 16 June 2006, in Maua, Brazil. That’s close to Sao Paulo, which means Souza was roughly 50 miles from Santos growing up, and would have had to travel a fair while to get there when he started training with them as a youngster.
He is 1.83m tall, which equates to roughly 6ft exactly. He only weighs 77kg, making him relatively lightweight.
If you’re curious, his full name is actually João Victor de Souza Menezes, but like any Brazilian footballer, his name is shortened to simply Souza.