The Brazilian teenager has already surpassed two legends of Santos' past, and he is now ready to make a name for himself in Europe
The Santos talent factory is showing no signs of running out of steam. The latest prodigious starlet to step off the conveyor belt? Eighteen-year-old Angelo Gabriel – already an established first-team regular with the Peixe.
A precocious winger, Angelo is well ahead of schedule having risen swiftly through the ranks at Santos – although he hasn't always found the going easy. But with his first-team debut already three years since, he feels ready to follow in the footsteps of the likes of famed Santos products Neymar, Rodrygo and Alex Sandro by crossing the Atlantic to forge a career in Europe.
Though Barcelona had the option to sign him, GOAL has confirmed that a move to Chelsea beckons, with the Blues committing to spend €15 million (£13m/$16m) to secure his services and add him to their burgeoning ranks of talented youngsters, following the captures of Kendry Paez, Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei in recent times – to name but a few.
As Angelo prepares to move to Stamford Bridge, here is everything you need to know about his career to date…
Where it all began
Born in the capital Brasilia in 2004, Angelo grew up in the suburban town of Samambaia, which his father Elismar has previously likened to a 'favela'. His exceptional dribbling ability and speed in possession were noted at an early age, and he was enrolled into the Santos-affiliated Meninos da Vila school in his hometown, before eventually joining the club's academy, despite interest from other leading Brazilian clubs, with his parents able to move with him to the city of Santos 1,112km away.
“In the first training session, we noticed that he had a lot of skill and above average speed," Angelo's former teacher and first coach, Betinho, told . "The following year, we presented him to Santos for tests in the basic categories, and he passed quickly. He was fast and skilled, an irreverent player with a lot of technical and attacking quality."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Angelo made swift progress through Santos' youth ranks and was deemed to be ready for first-team action well ahead of schedule – making his bow on Brazilian football's biggest stage. In October 2020, aged just 15 years and 308 days, the attacker was handed his debut away at Fluminense at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana Stadium.
Coming off the bench for the final 30 minutes, he became the youngest player in the history of the national championship, surpassing the record set by Santos and footballing icon Pele. For context, Neymar hadn't made his Santos debut until after his 17th birthday.
How it's going
Angelo would break another record in April 2021, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Copa Libertadores aged 16 years and 105 days, courtesy of a tap-in against San Lorenzo.
Now, still only 18 years of age, Angelo has made 129 appearances for Santos and represented Brazil up to Under-20 level, although things haven't necessarily gone to plan. That is reflected in his stats: in those 129 appearances he has made a modest contribution of five goals and 10 assists – although, of course, statistics do not tell the whole story.
A poor run of form and a lengthy goal drought saw him draw the ire of some sections of Santos' support back in April, and although he has found the net since, Angelo is struggling to hold down a starting place.
Speaking recently, Santos boss Odair Hellmann said: "He's a promising, talented player, that's undeniable, but he's suffering from this pressure. He is 18 years old… We worship because a 16-year-old boy comes out, we put him on a pedestal, but later on, we start to visualise the difficulties, the situations that we need to evolve. And now is not the time to step on his head. It is time for us to visualise the difficulty he is having."
GettyBiggest strengths
The youngster's success to date has been built upon his dazzling dribbling ability and pace, and it's not difficult to understand why when you see him in action. Angelo has an elastic touch when he is moving at speed, with the ball never quite slipping from his control, and he adds to that all the typical flair you would expect of an exuberant Brazilian attacker.
He is no shrinking violet, either, with his solid 5'9 frame meaning he is prepared for the physical battle despite his tender years. Indeed, he already has more than 125 appearances under his belt in Brazil, where the defending can be agricultural to say the least.