Gabriel Menino: Palmeiras’ rising star.

Written by George, @georgexoliver, on March 11th 2021.

Despite starting on the bench for last Sunday’s Copa do Brasil final, Gabriel Menino still had a huge impact on the game, scoring the second in a 2-0 win for the Sao Paulo based side. This secured Palmeiras’ third trophy of the season, and the fourth Copa do Brasil in their long history. A fake-shot with his right foot to sell the defender and take it on to his weaker left foot, Menino found the back of the net with an effort across the keeper to seal the deal.

Football in South America is very different from what we are used to in Europe. This is mainly due to the sheer amount of games that are played across multiple competitions, which gives clubs the unique opportunity to try out many different players who might not normally get such an opportunity. This was where Menino was originally given his opportunity in the Palmeiras first team.

Having joined the Palmeiras youth set-up aged 17 back in 2017, Menino made his senior debut in the Campeonato Paulista (the Sao Paulo state championships), in a 4-0 win over Ituano. Playing in a central-defensive midfield role for the whole 90 minutes in that game, Menino impressed. So much so that from then on, he was involved solely with the first team.

However, he isn’t just limited to that midfield role. In fact, his versatility is probably his strongest point, having played a mixture of roles for this successful Palmeiras side. In both legs of the Copa do Brasil final, he came off the bench in different positions. In the first leg, a 1-0 win, he came on for roughly half an hour in attacking midfield while in the second leg he came on for about the same time but in a right-midfield role.

He is able to play anywhere on the right extremely comfortably, whether that at being right-back or at right-wing – which is where he impressed in the Copa Libertadores final win against Santos. Standing at just under 5ft 10, his stocky frame in combination with his pace means he is well-suited to any of these roles.

Menino was one of the shining lights for a Palmeiras side who collected 3 trophies over the course of the season: the Libertadores, the Copa do Brasil and the Campeonato Paulista. Alongside fellow youngsters such as Uruguayan left-back Matias Vina, Patrick de Paula and Gabriel Veron, as well as experienced older heads like Luiz Adriano and Felipe Melo, Menino dealt with every obstacle thrown at him. To collect 3 trophies in such a gruelling campaign is something that he, and the fans of Palmeiras, will forever hold in high regard.

In 27 Serie A appearances this year, he has 7 assists. These have come whilst playing in a variety of positions, which shows he is equally productive wherever he plays – whether that be on the right of midfield, in the middle or even at right-back. He has the most assists for any player under the age of 23 in the Brazilian league, which is a feat in itself when you bear in mind the number of young players in the league.

Also in Serie A this year, he has rather solid all-around statistics both in defence and attack. It goes to show how well-rounded he is that whilst making an average of 7.12 progressive passes per game (Wyscout), he is also making around 3 interceptions. These passes aren’t just going forward for the sake of it either, as he has an average of 6.58 passes into the final third each game. This shows us that he is a smart player, who is regularly looking to pass forward and take the game to the opposition.

Looking to the future for Merino, there is an obvious question to be asked. When will he make the step to Europe? The answer to this question cannot be answered simply, as every player’s path is very different. We recently saw Brenner, who was doing very well for Sao Paulo, move onto FC Cincinnati in the MLS - this is becoming a more common route for South American players. However, having won the Copa Libertadores as one of the starring players, a move to the MLS for Menino could be seen as a step backwards.

It seems as though it will only be a matter of time before Menino does make the jump over to Europe. Teams such as Lille and Ajax have recently tapped into the Brazilian market specifically, signing players like Bruno Guimaraes and Antony respectively, and so they are more than likely to be keeping tabs on a player as bright as Menino.

As for his international career, Menino was actually called up to the Brazilian senior squad in September 2020 but is yet to receive his debut. With the performances he has been putting in for Palmeiras, it would be surprising if doesn’t get a chance with the Selecao, and an opportunity like that would put him on the radar of plenty of European clubs if he isn’t already.

Written by George, @georgexoliver.