So, which Samba stars are here to stay?
OSCAR is off to Chelsea but could more of his country’s finest young talent join him in the Premier League?
SIMON JONES runs the rule over six of the best from Brazil’s Olympic squad...
GANSO Club: Santos Age: 22 Value: £45m
Paulo Henrique Ganso has declared he is ready to quit Santos and that has started a scramble across Europe; Arsenal, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Real Madrid have all declared interest. The stylish midfielder has a strong understanding with Neymar but may find himself on the bench tonight as the coach favours the in-form Chelseabound Oscar.
LUCAS Club: Sao Paulo Age: 19 Value: £35m
Manchester United have already declared their intent to sign Lucas (right), who was widely acknowledged as the best midfielder in South America in 2011. He’s compact, quick, has an eye for a pass and grabs the occasional goal. Talk over his future has affected his form lately, but Europe’s elite still want him.
NEYMAR Club: Santos Age: 20 Value: £65m
Tipped to become the most marketable athlete in the world, Neymar is Brazil’s great hope. He is seen as the man who can stop Lionel Messi being regarded as the world’s best player and is expected to line up with him at Barcelona. They want to outbid Real Madrid for the striker who has 110 goals in 186
games for Santos.
DAMIAO Club: Internacional Age: 22 Value: £25m
Tottenham fans will be well informed on Leandro Damiao. The club have been trying to sign the striker (right) since last summer. Ronaldo is a fan and so are big-spending Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. He will compete for a starting slot with Milan’s Alexandre Pato. He is physical, fast and a goalscorer.
HULK Club: Porto Age: 24 Value: £38m
Andre Villas-Boas wants Hulk at Tottenham and will do well to succeed in the face of competition from Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris SaintGermain. A powerful, sometimes selfless striker, Hulk was excellent for Porto last season and his reputation is reflected in a release clause of £80million. However he is available for a supposed ‘cut-price’ £38m.
ROMULO Club: Vasco da Gama Age: 22 Value: £8m
The defensive midfielder is due to join Spartak Moscow after the Olympics. They have agreed a fee of £8m with cashstrapped Vasco. Juventus were also keen. Romulo (above) is a key figure in an attacking side and shares defensive responsibilities with Sandro. Breaks up the play and is an excellent passer.