The Basics
Age: 24
Club: Sporting CP
Nation: Portugal
Position: Attacking midfielder/winger
Footed: Right
Under contract until: 2026
Gonçalves, also known as ‘Pote’, spent time in five different youth academies in three countries, including a spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He made the switch from his local club Vidago to Chaves at the age of 11, before subsequent moves to Braga, Valencia and then Wolves.
In his two years spent in England, Gonçalves made one appearance for Wolves in the league cup, before going back to Portugal with Famalicão. Homesickness was one of the reasons he decided to return.
The move worked out well for Gonçalves, who was named the Primeira Liga’s Young Player of the Year for the 2019/20 campaign and earned a transfer to Sporting CP.
He hit the ground running and has excelled during his three seasons in Lisbon, scoring 46 league goals and racking up 33 assists. The 24-year-old has made two appearances for Portugal.
The Links
News outlets in Portugal linked Villa to Gonçalves back in February and March, with Record claiming the club will be “at the forefront” of those interested. A BOLA reported Villa have been following Gonçalves “for a long time”.
The Scouting Report
Strengths
Gonçalves is a fantastic technical footballer who excels at passing, dribbling, and shooting, three pretty important things in an attacking player.
He hits ‘wow’ passes, driving them all the way across the pitch right onto his teammates foot. His passes in and around the penalty area, when accuracy really matters, are usually spot on.
His pass accuracy ranks above average, in the 57th percentile, compared to attacking midfielders/wingers in the ‘Next 8’ leagues over the last year. The ‘Next 8’ leagues are:
American Major League Soccer
Brazilian Série A
Dutch Eredivisie
English Championship
Mexican Liga MX
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Copa Libertadores
UEFA Europa Conference League
Gonçalves also ranks in the 78th percentile for progressive passes, and he often helps start counter attacks with first time flicks round the corner.
There is something mesmeric about watching Gonçalves dribble with the ball, similar to Kaoru Mitoma in a way. He just knows how to manipulate defenders and get the best of them.
He is able to stop and start easily and uses body feints to throw opponents off. Defenders are enticed into thinking they can get the ball, only for him to take it away at the last second.
When he looks boxed in, Gonçalves finds a way to wiggle out of trouble and then quickly accelerate away when he has some daylight.
The midfielder collects nutmegs for fun and does well to ride tackles and keep coming out with the ball, it almost appears lucky, but he does it so many times it can’t be.
In front of goal, Gonçalves hits the corners, slotting the ball into the net rather than trying to break it. He has a flair for the spectacular as well, scoring from just inside Arsenal’s half in a Europa League game earlier this season. He has outscored his expected goals (xG) over the course of his career, showing his finishing quality.
Gonçalves is a set piece taker and a penalty taker. The latter is something Villa could really use, as they don’t have an obvious candidate since the departure of Danny Ings.
His two-footedness is an asset, making him less predictable.
Positionally, Gonçalves is versatile, which is something of a theme with many of the players Villa have been linked with. At Sporting CP, he was used as a winger, an attacking midfielder and a false nine, and even a central midfielder, which was his main role at Famalicão.
He is engaged in the game when he doesn’t have the ball. Gonçalves looks to get the ball whenever he can, whether that means coming short or making runs behind the defence.
When playing deeper, he goes box to box, giving good effort to the offensive and defensive side of the game. Gonçalves shows the awareness to pick up players that enter his vicinity and helps teammates to gang up on opponents and win the ball back.
Compared to his positional peers, Gonçalves ranks in the 86th percentile for tackles and the 75th for interceptions.
Weaknesses
Gonçalves is a home run hitter and at times he can be guilty of trying to force things. He will attempt passes that aren’t on in an attempt to create something out of nothing, or fire shots off target from too far out.
His stature is an issue Gonçalves has to overcome. He’s only 5’8” and can be outmuscled when dribbling. He has less strength and therefore scope to shield the ball. Sometimes he has to stretch for the ball and struggles to bring it under control as easily as you’d like.
He has often played out wide, but Gonçalves doesn’t quite have the pace to threaten defenders down the line, he’s the type of player who looks quicker with the ball than without it.
Although he tries to make himself available, Gonçalves could do a better job of finding the soft spots between opponents and allowing teammates to pick him out.
Fit With Villa
Gonçalves could be used in any of the positions he’s already played for Sporting, playing as a second striker, a winger, or a central midfielder as needed, but his primary role in Villa’s current 4-4-2 system would likely be as a second striker.
He would bring quality to the final third that the likes of Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey have shown less consistently, and would likely be the penalty taker from day one.
There is an €80m (£69m) release clause attached to Gonçalves, and it’s fair to question whether he is worth that much, or if Villa could afford it.
A BOLA has reported there’s a “good chance” a deal could be done for €40m-€50m (£34m-£43m), which would be much more reasonable.
Based on his previous experience in England, there could also be a concern over the fact he failed to settle. There is more adaptation risk with a player like Gonçalves than some others Villa have been linked with.
Reports aggregated by villareport.
The Villa Ramble 
Leave a comment