but who are you Gerson?

The packet. Olympique de Marseille went all out to afford Gerson (23). The Phocaeans announced an agreement in principle with Flamengo on Wednesday for the transfer of the Flamengo midfielder. A transfer estimated at more than € 20 million, bonus included. The latter is no stranger to football fans. His left foot has been talked about for many years. It was in January 2015 that the general public heard about him for the first time. At the time, Fluminense’s hope was playing against the Under-20 Sudamericano in Uruguay, catching the eye of many European teams thanks, in particular, to his three assists.

“I’m very comfortable talking about Gerson. I have known him since the days of Fluminense. I had called him up for the Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (in 2013). He unfortunately declined the invitation. He was then the n ° 10 of Fluminense, an attacking midfielder, with great technical qualities. He was nimble and had a truly impressive vision for the game. He was still an attacking midfielder, who attacked and projected himself a lot into the opponent’s area. Years went by and I called him up for the Under-20 South American in 2015. I had already understood that Gerson needed to have the game against him. I used him as a second central midfielder. He adapted very well to this position, he had a very good tournament ”, told us his coach at the time Alexandre Gallo.

Complicated years in Italy

FC Barcelona also paid a little more than € 3 million to Fluminense to have a preferential option on the player. But the Blaugranas decided to hand over following AS Roma’s € 18.6m offer in the summer of 2015 and the Auriverde, then 19 years old and rather considered an attacking midfielder, finally arrived at home. the Giallorossi the following summer. He was also eagerly awaited in the Eternal City. But his first steps quickly disappoint. For his first season, he only appeared 4 times in Serie A and 7 times in European Cups (1 in the Champions League and 6 in the Europa League). The following season was a bit better, with 24 Serie A appearances (2 goals) and 6 Champions League appearances.

But this is not enough for the demanding Romanista public. “He didn’t leave a very good memory here. He arrived with huge expectations placed on him, he was seen as Totti’s heir. In the end, he never adapted to Rome, perhaps because there was too much pressure given the investment. It is perhaps no coincidence that he was much better at Fiorentina. This is arguably one of AS Roma’s biggest disappointments in recent years. We quickly forgot it ”, told us Francesco Iucca, follower of the Louve club for Calciomercato especially. The residents of the Olimpico, between disappointment, impatience, misunderstandings and faulty communication with the player and his entourage, therefore decide to send him on loan in 2017/18 to Fiorentina.

Under the shirt of the Viola, managed by Stefano Pioli, current coach of AC Milan, he has achieved his only full season to date in Europe, with 40 appearances in all competitions (3 goals and 3 assists). “Gerson arrived on dry loan at Fiorentina. He played several matches and Pioli made him play torchbearer in the middle if I remember correctly, Jordan Veretout playing a notch lower. There were a lot of expectations around him, but he was still young and he did not arrive in a good season for Fiorentina, which fled on the final day of the championship ”, told us Federico Sartoni, journalist for Lady Radio Firenze. As its loan did not include a purchase option, the Carioca made its return to Rome. But he wasn’t going to stay there long.

Maturity in the country

On July 12, 2019, it was transferred to Flamengo for € 11.8 million and 10% on a capital gain on resale. The perfect marriage. Jorge Jesus, the coach at the time, installs him in his double pivot, with the role of leader behind. A role that suits him like a glove. With Mengão, he won two league titles in Brazil (present each time in the eleven of the season), a Copa Libertadores in 2019 and a Recopa Sudamericana in 2019. Something to be unanimous about, as Felipe explains to us. Schmidt, journalist for O Globo. “Gerson is one of the best players in his job in Brazil. We even wonder why he has not yet been summoned to Seleção by Tite. He started his career as an attacking midfielder, but at Flamengo he came down a notch as a runner. He is the barometer of the team, he sets the pace, initiates actions and plans to finalize ”, he explained to us before adding.

“It also stimulates the pressing work of the offensive sector. It is often he who is in the driver’s seat on this aspect. He is a complete player, capable of marking and attacking with the same efficiency. In my opinion, he was the best player in the last Brazilian championship won by Flamengo ”. An opinion shared by an agent well established in the Brazilian market. “He’s a crack! He can evolve at all positions in the middle. He is an excellent transition player, he has a very vertical ball handling. In the last third of the field, he can still progress on strikes or infiltrations and thus become a top player. He is one of the most dynamic players in the Brazilian market today ”, he told us.

Gallo confirms. “In this position, Gerson has all the qualities to defend the colors of any team in the world, and even the Seleção. Gerson is a player who takes control of the rhythm of a match. He can read very well when to hold the ball, when to accelerate. He has a good passing quality and when he approaches the opponent’s area, he has the quality to score goals. In his post, he is very complete, he is clearly one of the best in Brazilian football at the moment ”, he explained to us. We understand better why Jorge Sampaoli, who was able to observe him closely when he officiated at the head of Atlético Mineiro, has been forcing his management to have him under his orders next season. His wish was granted.