Brazilian midfielder Vinicius Souza will be Espanyol’s third signing. A 23-year-old defensive midfielder with a remarkable wingspan (1.87 metres), he will join Diego Martínez’s team on loan from Belgian Lommel (owned by City Football Group) and to strengthen a very short-handed position after departures by David Lopez and Fran Merida.
Espanyol plans to make the incorporation of this player official this afternoon, unknown to the general public, but who has just had a fantastic season in Belgium, where he has been the undisputed starter at MF Malinas, also known as Mechelen. There he played 32 games in the Jupiler Pro League, with two goals and one assist.
Born in Brazil and trained at Flamengo, two seasons ago he made the leap to Europe to join the Belgian Lommel, which in that same 2020 agreed to join the structure of the City Football Group, owner of Manchester City.
The negotiation with the City Football Group, owner of his rights through Lommel, to acquire the player’s services has not been easy, as other European teams such as Celtic, Schalke and Fenerbahce and Spanish ones such as Betis were interested in have him this season in their ranks.
The perica sports management, led by Domingo Catoira, tried to include a purchase option in the operation that the club of origin rejected, since they consider that the footballer has great potential and they do not consider, at the moment, getting rid of him.
Meanwhile, next week seems key for the hiring of a goalkeeper, a position that generates more urgency in the club after the departures of Diego López and Oier Olazabal. The Polish Dragowski is the first option, but until Fiorentina, which does not have him, does not incorporate a substitute, the operation cannot be carried out. In the case of Álvaro Fernández (Huesca), Espanyol, according to Aragonese newspapers, has an agreement with the player but is still far from reaching an agreement with Huesca and Monaco, who share 50% of the goalkeeper’s rights.
