Countless 'wonderkids' come from Brazil to Europe and very few make it to the top. It is usual to see prodigies coming out from the youth system of Brazil and then make it to a major European club. Unable to handle the pressure of the tougher European leagues and expectations based on significantly large transfer fees, the talent of most of these players slowly fades away and the hype dies down. The likes of Alexander Pato, Denilson, Keirrison, and Adriano are just some of the popular names which can be put in the above bracket.

Gabriel Jesus will walk into the Manchester City squad for a reported cost of £27 million in January next year. He follows in the footsteps of his countrymen such as Neymar Jr., Oscar, and Phillipe Coutinho, some of the most talented youngsters from Brazil playing European football currently. 

Gabriel Jesus… Who?

Gabriel Jesus was born in the suburbs of Sao Paulo. Some of the most famous footballers which include Rivellino, Zé Roberto, Djalma Santos, Cafu, Ricardo Kaka, Rogerio Ceni and not to forget Neymar, were all born near his neighborhood. Just like every Brazilian, football was more of a passion than a sport for young Gabriel. Tricks, flicks, and powerful shots were developed from playing in the streets, while an ability to think and react quickly helped him separate himself from the rest. After appearing for a number of youth teams, he grabbed the attention of some of the region's bigger sides when he plundered 29 goals for the amateur club Anhanguera in a local under-15 tournament.

At the age of 15, he got himself associated with an agent, who believed in his talent and set him up for a trial at a local club called Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, or better known as Palmeiras. Palmeiras is one of the most orthodox and strictly traditional clubs active in Brazil, where talent gets coupled with determination to win. He impressed in the trial, garnering the respect of the onlooking scouts with his searing pace and his ability to drive past players. The forward signed a contract with the club in July 2013 and instantly began to shine for the club's youth sides.

Brazilian legend Ronaldo noticed Gabriel Jesus' talent early in his career and in an interview with Globo TV, he earmarked the youngster as a reflection of his own younger self.

“I’m a fan of Gabriel and I look at him and see myself when I was younger, I see many similarities between us.”

He quickly established himself in the youth setup of Palmeiras, collecting a staggering 54 goals in 48 appearances during his first season and signed a professional contract in 2015. Palmeiras were struggling to keep their hopes alive in the top flight and the team needed some fresh legs and renewed vigor to lift themselves up. Such was the promise displayed by Gabriel Jesus that the club's supporters started demanding his inclusion in the first team through social media campaigns and in the matches every week. Some fans set up an online petition calling for Gabriel to play on the final day of the 2014 season, with the simple reason that "[he] is a goal scorer and we need him". The hashtag #JogaGabriel did the rounds on Twitter, but the coach Dorival Junior, paid no heeds to these pleas and left Gabriel waiting for his chance to shine.

The 2015 Copinha provided the perfect opportunity for Gabriel Jesus to announce himself in world football. The Copinha is a popular competition in Brazil where local scouts and national selectors gather to pick the best talents and help them nurture and adapt with the nitty-gritty of a professional footballer's life.

The Debut

Gabriel Jesus was handed his debut in the Cameonato Paulista on 7th March in 2015, coming on as a second-half minute substitute in a 1-0 win over Bragantino. Hailed as the best young talent to come out of the club’s youth system in years, Gabriel's entry onto the pitch was greeted with a thunderous roar of approval from the Palmeiras faithful.

He also took part in the Copa São Paulo Futebol Júnior U-20 tournament where he finished as the top scorer further highlighting his immense potential. He made his first league start in the 2-2 home draw against Atletico Mineiro while his first goal was soon to follow as Gabriel scored in the knockout round of the Copa do Brazil, away against Agremiação Sportiva Arapiraquense. Gabriel scored again in the next round of the competition, notching up a brace against Cruzeiro in a 3-2 victory at home, helping his club reach the quarter-finals with a 5-3 advantage on aggregate. His first league goal came four days later against Joinville, where he scored the first and third goals in Palmeiras’ 3-2 victory.

The 19-year-old was declared the best newcomer in the Brazilian Serie A in 2015. Gabriel then turned his attention to helping his nation's cause as the Brazil U20 side reached the final of the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand, eventually losing to Serbia in the final.

Playing style

Gabriel is a modern day forward, with the ability to play anywhere across the front three in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 system. He has drawn comparisons with former Manchester City forward Robinho, because of similar levels of accelaration and a low center of gravity. His composure and finishing abilities inside the box are excellent for someone his age.

Gabriel Jesus’s playing style can be described in one word : “DIRECT”. Like many of his Brazilian counterparts, he possesses a box full of tricks and is not afraid to take on defenders either from the wider areas or through the middle. On the ball, his strengths are his speed and dribbling, and he is at times unstoppable in one-on-one situations. In the youth teams, he played as a striker, but he has been deployed more often on the left wing in the first team of Palmeiras. He rarely remains fixated on the left, and prefers to cut inside both with and without the ball, making runs in behind the opposition defense, aided by his incredible speed.

Strengths

One of the biggest strengths which defines Gabriel Jesus' game is his pace. He is capable of outfoxing and outrunning most defenders and his movement on and off the ball is spectacular. It's often said that the key to producing a perfect final ball is looking up and passing at the right moment. At the age of 19, Gabriel is capable of producing perfect through balls on a consistent basis. His good positional awareness holds him in good stead for his future as an important member in a big European team. What differentiates him and players of his age is his acute ability to get between defenders either from the wings or though the central areas and making it tough for opposition centre-backs to pick his runs.

On the ball, Gabriel is a confident and inventive dribbler and is happy to operate in tight spaces. However his hunger for goals drives him to cut back and forth around the box, rather than be a show trick pony. Perhaps, playing on the concrete grounds of the favelas matured him into a strong individual early in his career. The 5ft 9in starlet may not look like the most physically imposing of players, but his hold-up play and strong running have been praised by his coaches. His willingness to track back and help out the defence, also defies the myth that South American forwards neglect their defensive duties.

Weaknesses

Just like the 'flair players' in their younger days, Gabriel Jesus has a tendency to be selfish at times but his development as a team player is still a work in progress. His stature has already become too big for Palmeiras and has drawn criticism for losing balls in crucial places of the pitch and in crucial moments. He has earned a reputation for his short temper, a trait that is not unheard of from a Brazilian youngster.

Will Manchester City be the right team for Gabriel Jesus?

Manchester City currently boast an exciting line-up having plenty of players with blistering pace. The presence of speedsters such as Jesus Navas, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, and Kevin De Bruyne ensure that Gabriel Jesus would not immediately break into City's first team. The loan move allows the English club to test the youngster's abilities in a tougher league. Gabriel will provide Pep Guardiola with an excellent offensive option, as a player who could be deployed anywhere in the attack and against teams who may not be the quickest at the back. It is not yet certain how much of a role Jesus will play at the Etihad this season, as he will have to complete the Brazilian domestic campaign before linking up with Guardiola's men.

Guardiola has approached the player personally, persuading Gabriel to make the move to Manchester amidst interest from many top European clubs. Considering the work ethic of the player, and combined with the natural talent, Gabriel Jesus has the potential to become an important piece of Guardiola's plans at the club. The Spanish manager has nurtured some of the world's finest talents during his spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich and the Brazilian will not be excepted from the rule.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Zé Roberto, a team-mate of Gabriel Jesus at Palmeiras spoke about what separates the Sao Paulo man from his contemporaries.

"He's a young player with a lot of talent, but what makes him stand out is his focus. He's not worried about Real Madrid and Barcelona; his daily priority is perfecting his game. You don't see many young kids with that mind-set these days”

Ronaldo who has repeatedly admitted his fascination for Gabriel Jesus, describes him as one of two Brazilian players who could follow the recent footsteps of Neymar and go on to forge successful careers in Europe.

“I’m betting on two talents, they’re still developing but have a lot of quality. Gabriel Barbosa of Santos and Gabriel Jesus of Palmeiras are very young talents and haven’t even turned 20!”