Who is Joao Victor Souza? The young Santos star who is being fought over by the Premier League giants

Gilabola.com – Joao Victor Souza has performed brilliantly throughout 2025 and is now starting to attract the attention of a number of European clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, after his performance with Santos in the Brazilian League.

The 19 year old left back who is usually called Souza has shown significant development throughout the 2025 calendar year. Even though he suffered an ankle injury at the start of the season, Souza was able to recover well and later became an important figure in Santos’ defense line.

Souza’s Consistent Performance with Santos

Throughout the 2025 Brazilian highest caste competition, Souza made a total of 24 appearances. Of this amount, he contributed one goal and two assists, a quite prominent record for a defender of his age.

This development made his name start to enter the radar of European clubs. Calciomercato IT reports that Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are currently monitoring the player’s situation quite seriously.

Big Club Competition Begins to Open

Apart from the two Premier League clubs, Chelsea and Barcelona are also said to be in competition for Souza’s signature. AC Milan has even gone further by taking an initial approach.

The Rossoneri have reportedly made an initial verbal offer after building a good relationship with the player’s representatives, Bertolucci Sports. However, until now, Milan has not met Santos’ asking price.

Transfer Value and Odds to England

Santos is said to have set a transfer value of €12 million or around IDR 204 billion for Souza, who is still under contract until 2028. This situation opens up opportunities for Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest to enter more aggressively.

Bertolucci Sports itself also oversees several players who currently play for the two English clubs, such as Bruno Guimaraes at Newcastle United and Douglas Luiz and Omari Hutchinson at Nottingham Forest. This existing working relationship is considered to be a supporting factor if Souza’s transfer to England actually materializes.

Profile of João Victor Souza – Flamengo

• Position: Left Back
• Club: Santos
• National Team: Brazil U20

Important Statistics & Notes:

• Born in Mauá, São Paulo, Souza joined the Santos youth academy in 2016 aged nine, having previously played futsal for Juventus-SP.
• July 12 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Santos for three years.
• February 6 2024, Souza was registered with the Santos first team squad for the 2024 Campeonato Paulista, following an injury suffered by Kevyson.
• Five days later, he made his first-team debut, coming on as a second-half substitute for goalscorer Hayner in a 2–2 home draw with Mirassol.
• Still second choice behind Escobar, he scored his first professional goal on 26 October 2025, scoring Santos’ opener in a 2–2 draw at Botafogo.