The 5 next big stars in the Portuguese league: Bamba, Chermiti, Silva...

LIST - Portugal has long been at the heart of producing and developing football talents for European top sides. Every season, new talented youngsters shine in the Portuguese League before making a move to the biggest sides in the world. In recent years, we have seen Chelsea loanee João Félix, new Chelsea signing Enzo Fernández and PSG star Nuno Mendes make multimillion-euro moves to the European top. So who are the next big stars in the making in this talent factory?

Gabriel Veron has been nicknamed Bolt by former teammates. Photo: SOCCER DIGITAL (CC BY-SA 4.0)

1. António Silva (19) - From a nobody to the national team

The 19-year-old centre-back from Benfica has been one of the key defensive players in a side that has only lost one game so far all season. ‘With a lot of injuries in the squad at the start of the season the manager Roger Schmidt had to start the teenager alongside Nicolás Otamendi,’ reveals Portuguese football journalist Gonçalo Giestas. ‘He went from a nobody to an option for Portugal’s national team in four months’ time. He is calm, picks out the right passes and is strong in the air.’

Silva has played in Benfica’s youth academy since he was thirteen years old and played his first game for the first team at the start of the current season. He made his debut for the Portuguese national team in November 2022 against Nigeria. He was also part of the world cup squad, playing a full 90 minutes in Portugal’s 2-1 defeat against South Korea.

2. Gabriel Veron (20) - Brazilian Usain Bolt

‘He is very very fast’, says Giestas. Porto’s Brazilian winger has been known as a wonderkid in his country for years and now made the move to Europe last summer. Former teammates from Veron at Palmeiras even nicknamed him Bolt, because of his explosive speed.

‘Veron is a very promising player and Porto paid good money for him to buy him off of Palmeiras,’ says Giestas. ‘He already has played 19 times for Porto’s first team. He is not a goalscoring machine yet, but he surely can create spaces and can cause a lot of danger if you let him run. His technique reminds me a bit of Luis Díaz.’

The Colombian winger, Luis Díaz, was one of Porto’s best players before he seamlessly made an impression at English club Liverpool after his move in January 2022.

3. Rodrigo Gomes (19) - The kid that gets you off your seat

‘This is the type of wonderkid that gets the fans out of their seat and one who can always create something when he has the ball,’ says Giestas. Portuguese winger Rodrigo Gomes has been playing for SC Braga since he was twelve, made his debut for the first team as a 17-year-old and has become a more regular figure at Braga this season.

‘He can play as a winger or as a second striker. He has a brilliant right foot, he is fast and has a good work rate. He can score goals and has done so frequently in Braga’s youth teams. He is the brightest prospect from Braga’s academy since Francisco Trincão,’ says Giestas.

4. Youssef Chermiti (18) - Sporting's pride

Sporting CP always has big talents coming through their academy and the next player everyone is talking about is Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti. ‘Of course, Sporting has other big talents such as centre-backs Gonçalo Ignácio and Ousmane Diomande, but Chermiti is the thing nowadays,’ reveals Giestas. ‘The coach Rúben Amorim said that they will not buy another striker if Chermiti renews his contract with the club. He wants him as their striker. And with two goals and one assist in three starts for the first team, his numbers are not bad. He has pace and he surely knows how to head a ball.’

On February 17th, Chermiti renewed his contract with Sporting CP until 2027 with a release clause of €80 million for any club that is interested in his services. He has been with the club since he was twelve years old.

5. Ibrahima Bamba (20) - Not your typical defender

According to Giestas, Vitória Guimarães has got their hands on a very good prospect in Italian centre-back Ibrahima Bamba. ‘They bought him from the Italian third-division side Pro Vercelli in 2020 and he has not let the club down.’ The 20-year-old made his debut in the league in February 2022 against Benfica.

‘He is not your typical tall central defender, he is the technical type. He is good on the ball and is also able to play as a defensive midfielder,’ says Giestas. Portuguese football journalist Óscar Botelho even called him the biggest talent in the Portuguese league.

Text: Rik Tuinstra