At the age of 17, Santos made his professional debut as a late replacement in the Campeonato Carioca, a competition for clubs from the Rio de Janeiro region. He spent most of that season for the club’s Under-20 team, where he excelled in a box-to-box midfield position and frequently provided goals and assists.
Santos: ‘It’s a very big opportunity for me. This is a big club playing in big competitions like the Premier League so I am very excited. The players here are so good and I am very happy to be here.’
He made his league debut on the final day of the 2021 campaign before emerging as a more significant player in the recently concluded 2022 season, earning himself a permanent berth in the midfield trio.
He was born in Rio, has played for Brazil up to the Under-20 level, and is presently relocating to London.