Celtic, during the summer of 2018, saw Douglas Luiz slip through their fingers Manchester City opted to send the talented young midfielder on loan to Aston Villa instead. Four years on, history repeated itself.
Ange Postecoglou and co spent much of last summer trying to persuade Vinicius Souza that Parkhead would represent a sensible next step in his development (Daily Record); the City-owned enforcer having outgrown the relatively small pond that was Belgian football in 2021/22, completing more successful tackles than anyone else in the division while at KV Mechelen.
Souza, however, never seemed particularly convinced. Perhaps he felt that swapping Belgium for Scotland would be something of a sidewards step.
Especially when Espanyol were offering the 23-year-old Brazilian the chance to test himself against the very best in the game; Pedri, Luka Modric and co in Spain’s La Liga.
Of course, Souza’s stance is not without logic. Already this term, he’s gone head-to-head with Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Sevilla. Celtic, in that time, have had domestic assignments with St Mirren, Dundee United and Kilmarnock. Vinicius has established himself as a key cog in the Espanyol engine too; starting every one of their seven La Liga matches thus far.
The rangy ball-winner, valued in the £8 million bracket, is also a firm admirer of Real Madrid legend Casemiro. So where better to hone his talents than the league where Casemiro established himself as arguably the game’s premiere defensive midfielder?
Vinicius Souza joined Espanyol in La Liga despite Celtic interest
Vinicius is discovering, however, that there is downside to choosing Espanyol over Celtic. Greater domestic competition, of course, makes for a much tougher adaptation. Vinicius, had he opted for Parkhead, would now be plying his trade in a Celtic side who, that shock defeat in Paisley aside, are the clear favourites to retain their Premiership title. Plying his trade under a coach, in Postecoglou, who continues to prove himself as a superb developer of young talent.
Celtic have six wins from seven, and 18 points to their name. The self-confidence such form generates has spilled over in to the Champions League too; impressive performances against Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk not reflected in the results.
Compare that to Espanyol; one win in six, and just four points. Already, Los Periquitos appear to be staring a relegation battle in the face.
Whether Vinicius Souza ends up regretting his decision, then, may rest on whether or not a dismal start to the new campaign can be put behind the Catalan club. While regular football in one of Europe’s top leagues should work to Vinicius’ eventual advantage, there is always the chance that his talents could be lost in the churn of the struggle.
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