FOOTBAL - FUSSBALL: David Carmo of SC Braga during a Portuguese League NOS match between SC Braga and CD Nacional. Estadio Municipal de Braga. October 17th, 2020. PHOTO: Imago/Pedro Benavente. PUBxNOTxINxPORTUGAL PEDRO BENAVENTE
According to O Jogo (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City are likely to move for David Carmo next month. The Braga defender has drawn plaudits for his performances this season and even manager Brendan Rodgers spoke highly of him.
There has been no mention of a transfer fee but it is being said that the player could be allowed to leave if he wants to. Even Manchester United were interested in the player earlier this season.
David Carmo had stints at Beira-Mar, Benfica, Anadia and Sanjoanense before completing his development at Braga. He made his debut for Braga’s reserve side in the second-tier in 2018 and was promoted to the first-team ranks midway through the previous campaign.
The centre-back made his first-team bow as a substitute against Porto back in January 2020 and has since established himself as a regular starter for Braga. Carmo has made a total of 31 appearances in all competitions so far, carving out a reputation for himself as one of the hottest rising defensive talents in his homeland.
Carmo has represented Portugal at U-19 and U-20 levels, having won the 2018 European Championship with the former.
The club signed Wesley Fofana and the youngster has settled in well at the club since making his debut. Alongside Soyuncu and Evans, Fofana has produced some fine displays for the club in the short time he has been there.
While a centre-back may not look like a priority now, they should remember that Wes Morgan is 36 and Jonny Evans is 32. In a season’s time, they might just have to recruit another central defender. This is where their interest in Carmo makes sense.
The 21-year-old has backed up his impressive displays for Braga in the Primeira Liga with some quality performances in the Europa League. That clearly underlines his potential to thrive against quality opposition at the highest level and while Carmo is hardly the finished article just yet, he’s certainly going to get better with time.
Standing at 6ft 5in with a gigantic frame, Carmo has just the right kind of physicality to evolve into a long-term centre-back for the Foxes alongside the likes of Soyuncu and Fofana. The 21-year-old still has his best years ahead of him and has already started to deliver on his promise in Portugal.