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All other things being equal, more Brazilians is generally a good thing for a football club. Yesterday, Liverpool announced the signing of a fourth Brazilian national, Allan Rodrigues de Souza, a midfielder from Internacional for £500,000.
And as Liverpool have been wont to do with recent unpolished acquisitions, they immediately loaned Souza out to play in Finland--a recent hotbed of Liverpool activity--with the club Seinajoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK), currently second in the Veikkausliiga (the top flight of Finnish football).
Souza arriving is not all that much of a shock, as he spent this summer training with the Reds, and even represented Liverpool in three U-21 friendlies, most recently against Birmingham City, a match in which the young Brazilian netted a goal. He also made the first team squad on Liverpool's preseason trip to Helsinki.
Like so many young players, Souza is an unknown quantity. For £500K, not much can be expected for a youth player, especially one at the relatively "advanced" age of 18. It's likely a long road from first division Finnish football to the English Premier League, but if Liverpool can help the player develop through their academy system and loans, he could still represent future financial value to the club.
Welcome aboard, Allan Rodrigues de Souza, and be sure to pack some long underwear.
