Thiago Maia Alencar or Thiago Maia is a player wanted by both Chelsea and Manchester United according to the British media. The Santos midfielder who has caught the eye of many clubs across Europe made history when he became the first person from the state of Roraima to represent Brazil in any sport at the Olympics in the summer. Roraima is Brazil’s least populated state and is located within the Amazon rainforest. Maia was part of this past summer’s squad which won the gold medal in Rio.
Having spent a part of his youth career in Sao Caetano, the midfielder joined Santos in 2011. Developing gradually in the youth academy of Santos, Maia made his senior first team debut in October 2014, when he came on as a substitute for fellow youth graduate Serginho. 2015 proved to be the breakthrough year for the player as last year’s first choice defensive midfielder Alison Lopes Ferreira, suffered a serious knee injury which ruled him out for eight months, allowed him to have the opportunity of starting for the first team.
Maia took the chance well and ended the season with 28 appearances in the Brazil Serie A, which included 23 starts and scored 2 goals to establish himself as a regular starter.
This season, Maia has improved even further and his wonderfully consistent displays in the defensive midfield, have made him a hot property in the transfer market with a host of clubs fighting for his signature.
The 19-year old has fantastic passing attributes and is an excellent tackler. His ability to spray passes effortlessly from the deep with breaking down the opposition attacks is really top class. Maia is not the quintessential Brazilian player who dribbles past players and scores goal with his player, he is the anchorman who holds the defence and the attack together, dictating the tempo of the play.
It is said that PSG have already launched a bid of £17m for the player whose contract at Santos runs till 2019. The Brazilian club also owns 72% of the player’s economic rights.
With PSG already having made a bid, Manchester United and Chelsea will be forced to submit their offers in the coming days and with Juventus recently showing their interest in the 19-year-old, there is a potential of a bidding war for Maia in the transfer window.
