NEC complete coveted deal with FC Porto after Farioli gives the green light | Goal.com
NEC are closing in on Gabriel Brás, Voetbal International reports. The 22-year-old defender is expected to join on loan from FC Porto, with Portuguese media also claiming the Nijmegen club have agreed an option to buy.
At last, coach Dick Schreuder looks set to get the defensive reinforcement he has been asking for. During pre-season, the manager had already made it clear he felt his squad were too light at the back and hoped to bring in two or three more defenders.
That shortage was on show again in the opening round against Telstar. Schreuder had to improvise in defence and afterwards made it clear he was not happy with the limited numbers at the back.
Now Brás is set to become the first answer to that problem. The Portugal youth international came through the FC Porto academy and remains under contract there, but he is still waiting for his official first-team debut. According to Transfermarkt, the right-footed centre-back, who has made six appearances for Portugal Under-21s, is valued at two million euros.
In pre-season, Brás got the chance to impress with Porto's first team. In the end, coach Francesco Farioli decided not to keep the defender in his squad on a permanent basis. The former Ajax coach then gave the green light for a move to NEC.
Meanwhile, the Nijmegen club are particularly active in the transfer market on Monday. Earlier in the day, it had already emerged that NEC are at an advanced stage in their move for goalkeeper Nikolas Polster, who is expected to arrive from Wolfsberger AC.
In Nijmegen, Polster is set to compete with Gonzalo Crettaz. Neither Brás nor Polster will be able to feature on Tuesday evening in the Champions League qualifying match against Olympiakos Piraeus.
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