Luiz Henrique has quickly established himself at Real Betis as one of the LaLiga's most exciting new talents.
The young Brazilian winger has impressed for Los Verdiblancos since arriving from Fluminense last summer, nailing down a spot in the starting line-up.
Despite his youth, Luiz Henrique had already played more than 100 games at the professional level before landing in LaLiga Santander from Fluminense last summer. Over the first months of the 2022/23 season, he has become an increasingly important player for Real Betis, making 25 total appearances and doing so as a starter in the past five. His contributions in attack have become ever more important too, not least his brilliant dribble and strike to win a recent match against Rayo Vallecano, just days after the sad passing of his father.
His main strength is his skill in one-on-one take-ons, as he possesses speed and explosiveness and always plays with an eye on the opposition penalty area. His physical prowess and attacking mentality make him a nice complement to talents such as Nabil Fekir, Sergio Canales, Borja Iglesias and Juanmi.
The 22-year-old has a large stature, quite different from the classic profile of a Brazilian winger, who is traditionally smaller. His 1.82m frame and his powerful stride allow him to dominate play on either wing, while his intelligent decision-making in and around the opposition penalty area demonstrates a vision of the game and a sporting maturity beyond his years.
These were among the many reasons that convinced those in Real Betis' sporting department, which is led by Antonio Cordón, to take the decision to acquire his services, thinking about the present and, above all, the future of Los Verdiblancos.
Manuel Pellegrini's formation has also helped with the player's adaptation to the club and the new league. The Chilean likes to play with wingers, which has made it easier for the new arrival to find a place in the line-up, where he can enhance the attacking options with his technical but also physical and explosive profile. He is already proving to be the arrow to the bowstrings of the other talented players in the Real Betis squad, who have quick feet, fitting seamlessly into the of play that led last year's side to silverware.
At Real Betis, Luiz Henrique will look to follow in the footsteps of the other Brazilian icons who have spent time at the club, such as Edú, Ricardo Oliveira, Denílson or Marcos Assunção, players who won over the fans with his own dribbles, assists and goals.
It's interesting that the winger has made the jump to European football by joining a club with one of the largest fanbases in Spain, placing even more responsibility on his young shoulders. In Seville, the passion for football is like nowhere else in Spain.