Seven Brazilian footballers we want to see in the Premier League

When Andre Villas-Boas was in charge of Chelsea, former Porto charge and Brazil international forward Hulk was strongly linked with following his mentor. Both have since been reunited at Russian outfit Zenit St Petersburg.

In an interview with the British press, Hulk is quote as saying: “Joining Chelsea or Real Madrid would make no sense for me, since I’d risk to be benched a lot there, and I know there will always be clubs interested in signing me.”

And that got Coral’s football experts thinking. Which Samba Boys stars would we like to see come to the Premier League? We’ve picked out a magnificent seven, so let’s start with the man who doesn’t want to be a substitute…

Hulk
Powerful forward Hulk loves to cut inside from the flank for both club and country. This tactic worked for AVB at Porto and doing so to great effect against in St Petersburg, following 11 goals across all competitions and notching nine assists to boot.

As impressive as Hulk’s physique is, though, you have to wonder whether he would be an upgrade on Chelsea’s current right wing option and compatriot Willian? Somewhere like Spurs, under Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, might be a better fit. Zenit are 7/4 shots to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase.

Lucas Silva
Defensive midfielders of Cruzeiro’s up-and-coming talent Lucas Silva’s calibre are few and far between. One top Premier League team needs an anchorman more than most, and that’s Arsenal. As revealed earlier in December, the Gunners are interested in adding him to their ranks in the winter window.

Injuries to club captain Mikel Arteta and influential England international Jack Wilshere, plus Mathieu Flamini’s ageing legs mean Lucas would walk into the Emirates XI right now. If he can be as good as namesake and compatriot Gilberto Silva, then odds of 7/2 for Arsenal to win a major trophy would become a real prospect.

Bernard
Diminutive Shakhtar Donetsk winger Bernard was one victim of the post-World Cup cull following ‘Big Phil’ Luiz Felipe Scolari’s sacking and the reinstatement of Dunga as Samba Boys boss. That does not mean, however, that he is without quality.

Such a low centre of gravity would make Bernard a nightmare to mark for the modern full back. He’d be a welcome edition on Merseyside now, though Everton probably couldn’t afford him, so Liverpool, odds-on at 4/6 to reach the Champions League knockout phase, may throw more money at their problems in January.