Reported Liverpool target David Carmo has ‘enormous’ quality and is capable of shining for Spanish giants Real Madrid, his former Braga youth coach Jose Carvalho Araujo told Noticias ao Minuto.
The 21-year-old centre-back has gone from strength to strength in recent months but, after suffering a broken leg in last week’s cup clash with Porto, he now faces his biggest test yet.
How he recovers from a serious setback – one that will keep him on the sidelines for four months – will decide whether or not a big-money move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs comes to fruition during the summer.
According to AS, Liverpool made a loan-to-buy bid of around £21 million on the final day of the January window. Braga, however, wanted £26 million – a fee that Premier League champions were unwilling to pay.
If the Reds renew their interest at the end of the season, they will face competition from a Real Madrid side looking for a battle-scarred warrior of a centre-back capable of replacing Sergio Ramos on the Bernabeu battlefield.
For Araujo, who worked with Carmo as he rose through the ranks at Braga, the Portugal U20 star has the intelligence, physique and footballing ability to thrive at the very top level.
“He has quality. He has been showing that he has enormous physical capacity and tactical awareness. Braga are giving David Carmo opportunities and he will improve,” said Araujo.
“He will be even more competent in football at the highest level. Of course, he is young, but without a doubt it has the quality to play at a big club, like Real Madrid.
“He is a player with a voice. He knows what he has to do on the pitch. I remember that at the beginning he was an introvert, but he was young. In the under-23s, he was already admired for being a leader and for everything he had achieved.
“He is one of those players who creates a good atmosphere in the dressing room. He may not yet be as charismatic as Sergio Ramos, but he could be with age.”
Ramos will be out of contract in the summer and, as it stands, it seems increasingly unlikely that he will agree a new deal.
It goes without saying that, for Carmo, replacing a five-time La Liga winner, a four-time Champion of Europe who has scored over 100 goals from centre-back, will be one hell of a challenge.
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