The Brazilian national team may appear to be lacking its traditional firepower, but that isn’t stopping European clubs from paying exorbitant amounts of money for the South American powerhouse’s internationals.
On the heels of Roberto Firmino’s transfer to Liverpool for a hefty price, Bayern Munich is nearing the capture of Brazilian attacking midfielder Douglas Costa for a massive $39 million fee, according to a report by German channel Sport1.
The Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder, currently on duty with the Brazilian national team in the Copa America, scored four goals last season and assisted six more in Ukranian league play. Costa has spent five years at Shakhtar, moving at just 19 years old from Brazilian club Gremio in the winter of 2010. Since, he has made 175 appearances for the Ukranian giants across the league and Champions League competitions, scoring 35 goals and assisting 37.
Costa’s capture will likely be seen as a direct replacement for Franck Ribery, who is struggling with injury in the twilight of his career, with reports that the 32-year-old Frenchman is considering retirement.
Since the flop of Brazilian defender Breno, purchased by Bayern in 2007, the German club has had relative success purchasing Brazilian talent, bringing on the likes of Dante, Luiz Gustavo, and Rafinha all whom earned significant playing time with the club. This, however, is a big risk considering Costa’s inexperience in a top European league relative to the price Bayern has reportedly agreed to pay.
Earning time at the Copa America recently, Costa scored the winner in Brazil’s Copa America opening 2-1 win against Peru, on as a 66th minute substitute. The 24-year-old was also used off the bench in their subsequent 1-0 loss to Colombia, but was left unused in the final group stage match against Venezuela. With Neymar suspended, he could see more playing time moving forward.