Welcome to All Football Scouting Report, in here we will take you a closer look at world's promising stars. Eder Militao, the Brazilian only joined Porto last August but it was confirmed that he will move to Santiago Bernabeu this summer, what makes Real Madrid land him as first signing of Zidane's reign?
Militao is just 21 years of age and only joined Porto last August. He would have been forgiven for needing time to get to grips with the European game following the completion of his move from Sao Paulo.
However, the defender adaptation has been almost instantaneous. Whether deployed at right-back or centre-half, Militao has been one of the first names on Sergio Conceicao's team-sheet this season and played a pivotal role in Porto's progression to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. But how good is he? Let's have a look:
Who is Eder Militao? Real Madrid's new €50 million defender
Product of the Sao Paulo Academy
Militao joined Sao Paulo's youth setup in 2010, and made his professional debut for the club's first team in 2017.
Sao Paulo has an illustrious history of producing young talent, bleeding through talent such as Kaka, Oscar and Brazilian defensive royalty and world champion Cafu.
Militao made 37 appearances which included 36 starts for Sao Paulo over the span of two seasons, scoring three goals.
He Signed for Porto for €4m
Militao's performances in his homeland caught the attention of Portuguese giants Portuguese giants Porto, who decided to splash €4m on the defender in the summer.
He signed a five-year contract, which looks slightly optimistic at the moment, considering his recent performances attracting the attentions of Europe's richest.
Considering he is only 20, he could prove to be a very worthy investment. He could also make Porto a sizeable profit on yet another bargain import from South America.
He Has Been a Mainstay Since His Porto Debut
Porto brought Militao in as a player with plenty of future potential, who would be unlikely to play an immediate major part in their upcoming season. Which would not be surprising considering his tender age and absence of European football experience.
However Militao made his Porto debut against Morierense on matchday three of the Liga NOS season, and has started every one of their games since.
Since Militao's debut in the Liga Nos, Porto have conceded just the one goal in seven games, compared to three in three without him.
He's Already a Senior Brazil International
Brazilian coach Tite called up Militao to the senior Brazil squad for their friendly against El Salvador in September of this year.
He played the full 90 minutes on his international debut against in a 5-0 win for the Selecao.
Militao also played for Brazil's Under-17 side in their run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Chile.
He's Scored in the Champions League
Militao has played every minute of Porto's Champions League campaign, showing coach Sergio Conceicao's trust in the young player.
He has played a vital role in helping Porto qualify for the round of 16 and to comprehensively win their group ahead of Schalke, Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow.
He scored his first ever goal for the club in the Champions League victory against German outfit Schalke. A powerful and athletic header, which was then followed by an even more athletic celebration which was so close to ending in a painful failure thanks to a poorly executed handstand on a wet pitch.
Playing Style
Eder Militão is a fast and aggressive defender, his physical abilities give him an advantage while battling opponents.
Although Militão is a big and strong defender he is very athletic for his posture which he shows in his jumping which makes him very solid in the air, but also his maneuverability is very good for a big defender like him.
Militão is an example of a modern defender, next to his defensive capabilities he has the pace to play with a lot of space in his back giving him the opportunity to regain possession during a counter attack. Because Militão is mainly playing as a right back he is asked to contribute to the offensive game of Sao Paulo as well.
When Militão joined the first team he was still struggling in dividing his energy in the right way to contribute both defensively as well as offensively, however, he improved his on the ball movement very well and he has turned into a real menace on the right flank with his rushes and crosses.
Due to his posture and athletic abilities Militão is a consistent danger when it comes to set pieces he needs to contribute more to the team in terms of goals.
Mental qualities
Militão is an example of the South-American mentality which means that he is a real winner and will put everything into his game to win the match.
A point to improve on is to master his emotions during a game and try not to be involved in discussions with either opponents or the referee, however, this may improve while Militão grows older and plays more games. Overall Militão appears to be a calm guy with enough intelligence to become a very good player.
Physical qualities
As mentioned before Militão is a big guy with who is technically very advanced for a player with his posture. He is able to turn quickly while being in a 1-vs-1 with an attacker, in addition to that, he has the pace to play a role offensively but also to track fast attackers.
Militão has a good stamina which provides him to put a lot of energy in his game during the whole match. However, when the match approaches its end Militão is likely to slow down on his offensive contribution and focus with all his energy on the defensive part of his game.
But how good is he compared to Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane?
Weaknesses
As mentioned above, Militão’s eagerness to win back possession can leave his defence exposed.
In a similar vein to David Luiz, the young defender has a tendency to try to nip in front of an attack to reclaim the ball. While he often judges this correctly, physical strikers have held him off and advanced on goal.
His short game could also be touched up. While Militão is a confident passer, he does, on occasion, attempt difficult passes instead of ensuring his side maintain possession.
Yet these areas of his game will only improve with experience. And he will be given the opportunity to learn and improve at Real Madrid.