Paris Saint-Germain have made the first signing of the January transfer window, bringing in the Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo from São Paulo.
Born in Piracicaba, he joined the reserves of O Clube da Fé in 2020, at the age of 17. There, hwe worked under a face that will be familiar to fans of Ligue 1, Alex. The former PSG defender, who won two league titles with the capital side, saw the promise of the young center back, and he urged first-team coach Hernán Crespo to bring the youngster into the senior side.
His progress accelerated this season, as the left-footed center back helped São Paulo win their first-ever Copa do Brasil, and also became a crucial part of his country’s U-20 national team. His move to PSG also sees him follow in the footsteps of the legendary Räi, as well as Lucas Moura, as players to have made the jump from São Paulo to PSG.
7️⃣5️⃣ seconds to get to know our new signing Lucas Beraldo! 👀🤔
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 1, 2024
❤️💙 #WelcomeBeraldo pic.twitter.com/umlvJXgS1i
Beraldo is just 20, but his assured performances belie a sense of maturity, something about which he spoke to the PSG website, "I think so. I feel very well prepared. I spoke to the coach before, and he also gave me a lot of confidence, which I believe was important for me. It's a good thing to have Marquinhos as a partner in central defence. I also think that can help me a lot because he speaks the same language as me. It's a big step forward in my career.”
Having signed with the capital side through 2028, Beraldo could feature for the holders as soon as this Wednesday, with PSG set to take on Toulouse FC in the Trophée des Champions.
