After a disappointing 2020/21 season for Juventus domestically and in Europe, there has been much speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo and his future with the 36-time Serie A winners. Last season’s top scorer eventually opted to wear the Bianconeri colours again in the 2021/22 campaign; however, the Old Lady needed someone to team up with the Portuguese star to bring the Scudetto back to Turin.
The missing link for Juventus comes in the name of Kaio Jorge, a 19-year-old Brazilian wonder boy who passed his medical in Turin last week. With only a few months left on his contract at Santos before announcing his departure, Kaio Jorge could potentially end up being the bargain of the century, costing Juventus just €3 million. The new sensation refused to sign a contract extension with Santos in January 2020, signaling his intention to move to one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Kaio Jorge comes from the famous Santos football academy, which has produced the likes of Pelé, Neymar and Robinho, and is undoubtedly the one to keep an eye on in the coming years. For that reason, we took a closer look at Juventus’ latest signing and discussed whether he is a good fit for the Bianconeri.
Kaio Jorge Player Overview
Born on January 24, 2002 in Olinda, Brazil, Kaio Jorge joined Santos’ youth team when he was 10 years old. Five years later, at the age of just 15, he was called up to the club’s U-20 team, but only stayed there for a year as he was promoted to the first team in September 2018. Nine days later, Kaio Jorge made his professional debut for Santos in a 1-0 home defeat to Atletico Paranaense, becoming the sixth-youngest debutant in the club’s history.
Despite making just eight appearances in his first two seasons at Santos in all competitions, Kaio Jorge made his breakthrough in Série A during the 2020 season. That year he played a total of 40 games, including Série A and Copa Libertadores, scoring a total of 9 goals. After agreeing a pre-contract with Juventus earlier this year, Kaio Jorge went on to make 10 appearances in Série A and score one goal for Santos before completing his move to Italy.
Kaio Jorge Player Profile
Kaio Jorge is a 19-year-old Brazilian center-forward who has just signed for Serie A club Juventus. Standing at 182cm tall and weighing in at 64kg, the Bianconeri’s new center-forward is a combination of exceptional technique, classy finishing and superb movement off the ball. Although Neymar and Robinho are the most famous examples of players who have come out of the Santos academy and made their way to the top, Kaio Jorge bears only a passing resemblance to these two Brazilian counterparts. The 19-year-old can best be compared to Liverpool’s center-forward Roberto Firmino and in the following analysis we will explain why.
Like any young Brazilian prospect, Kaio Jorge has world-class technical ability when it comes to receiving the ball, turning and shifting it from one foot to the other, as well as striking a football when in motion or in a stationary position. Although the former Santos youngster is far from being a show boater such as Neymar or Robinho, he still has a bit of Brazilian magic in him, as he can also play a backheel pass or invent something out of nothing.
Scoring goals is paramount for any center-forward, regardless of his style of play. While Kaio Jorge may not yet have reached the goal-scoring level of a superstar striker, he has already shown that he can be composed in front of goal, possessing the quality of a top-class goalscorer. The Brazilian scores most of his goals from inside the penalty area with his preferred right foot, but he still has a lot of variation in his finishing. It can be simple tap-ins, coolly placed instinctive efforts, or even goals resulting from long distance shots.
One of the most salient features of Kaio Jorge’s playing profile is his clever movement without the ball. The Brazilian forward is not blessed with exceptional pace or acceleration but he is by no means slow, meaning he has to rely more on how he moves as opposed to how fast he can move. Kaio Jorge is also an exceptionally mobile center-forward who can deftly move through the inside channels or centrally, keeping the opposition defense guessing.
The above characteristics of Kaio Jorge’s game strongly resemble Roberto Firmino and his style of play. The Liverpool center-forward is also renowned for his versatile forward play, which allows him to drop deeper into midfield and sometimes operate as a deep-lying forward. As we can see in the heat map above, Kaio Jorge tends to roam around different zones of the pitch, whether it be wide, inside or in the middle. This suggests that the latest Juventus’ purchase is rather versatile with his all-round game and can be linked with a traditional striker.
Conclusion
Kaio Jorge is undoubtedly one of the most exciting young talents to have transferred this summer and seems destined for greatness. The Brazilian will face stiff competition for a place in the Juventus squad, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala being all exceptional players in their own right.
Nonetheless, the arrival of Kaio Jorge could prove to be a blessing in disguise for Ronaldo, who has always thrived best when supported by a forward partner, but the Santos academy graduate will have to prove the hard way that he is worthy of playing alongside one of the all-time greats.