Brentford have confirmed the capture of 18-year-old forward Gustavo Nunes from Gremio for a reported £10million transfer fee. 

Nunes, who operates predominantly on the left-hand side of the front line, has signed a six-year contract, with the Bees having an option to extend the deal by two years.

The Brazilian made his first-team debut for Gremio in February 2024, coming on as a first-half substitute and providing an assist in a 1-1 ‎Serie A draw with Sao Luiz.

Nunes netted his first goal six days later, scoring the opener in a 6-2 triumph against Santa Cruz-RS, going on to make 20 appearances in Brazil's top flight.

He made 40 appearances in all competitions for Gremio, scoring seven goals as well as adding four assists in that time. 

Nunes becomes Brentford's fourth arrival of the transfer window after the signings of Liverpool duo Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Club Brugge striker Igor Thiago.

“I am very excited that we have managed to sign Gustavo,” said head coach Thomas Frank. “It is another good signing; we have fought with other clubs.

“He is a winger who can go past players one-on-one. He is direct and he can create.

“Gustavo has a lot of potential and of course we need to maximise that in every aspect. He needs time to settle, but this is a very exciting signing.”

Luis Suarez's performances for Gremio show he would have few problems in adapting to Major League Soccer if he joins Inter Miami, says former Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Suarez is reportedly in talks with Miami over a move which would see him reunited with former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

The Uruguayan is seemingly closing in on a one-year deal with the MLS outfit after spending 2023 with Gremio, who finished second to Palmeiras in their first season back in Brazil's top flight, having spent the previous campaign in the second tier. 

Suarez scored 17 league goals for Gremio throughout the year, also adding 11 assists to give him the most total goal involvements (28) in the Brasileirao.

The striker, who will turn 37 in January, hit 27 goals across all competitions before departing as a free agent, and recently retired defender Chiellini says he would thrive in MLS.

"You see what Suarez did this year in Brazil… Brazil is not considered a weak league," Chiellini, who was famously bitten by Suarez at the 2014 World Cup, told Stats Perform. 

"Suarez scored almost 30 goals, we still see something there and it's still really good. Now football is changing all over the world. 

"There are less differences between some leagues in Europe and other countries. The only league that's very different from every other one, I think, is the Premier League. 

"But to be honest, the other ones we can compare, and you can also find good players in some weird leagues that some years ago you never considered. Now it is very different."

Luis Suarez's proposed move to Inter Miami would be a suitable fit, with the striker capable of further growing the profile of MLS if he is reunited with Lionel Messi in Florida. 

That is according to Suarez's former Atletico Madrid team-mate Hector Herrera, who says the Uruguayan is a "winner" and would face no problems in adapting to the league.

Suarez has been strongly linked with a move to Miami, where Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have all been reunited with former Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino.

Having won LaLiga five times during eight years in Spain with Barca and Atleti, Suarez returned to his boyhood club Nacional in 2022 before heading to Brazil to join Gremio for 2023.

Reports suggest Suarez may join Miami as a free agent after Gremio coach Renato Gaucho confirmed he is set to depart on Saturday, and Herrera believes MLS would be the perfect destination for the 36-year-old.

"Hopefully he can come to this league and help it continue to grow," the Houston Dynamo midfielder, who played with Suarez in Madrid between 2020 and 2022, told Stats Perform.

"With the quality of player he is and as a person, he will surely help any team that he comes to. It would be a pleasure to see him and face him again.

"He has played in many leagues, in many teams, and I don't think it will be difficult for him to adapt because he is a winner. 

"Obviously we know that he will contribute a lot to the team that he goes to, and to the whole league as well."

Suarez leads all Gremio players for goals (15) and assists (12) in the Brazilian top flight this season, with the team currently sitting in fourth after winning promotion back to the first tier last year.

Herrera feels he would be a real asset for Miami, who won the first trophy in their history in August as Messi led them to glory in the Leagues Cup.

Asked about the prospect of Suarez teaming up with Messi, Herrera said: "I have no doubt that he could go to that team because I know that they are great friends and their families have a good relationship. 

"It makes sense for him to come to Inter Miami. Messi's arrival gave another face and another perspective to the league and will help it grow. 

"We are talking about the current winner of the Ballon d'Or and it is a pleasure to have him in the league, to be able to face him and make MLS continue to grow. 

"We have seen the level that he has shown since he arrived, and surely next year will be even better."

Lucas Leiva hopes his former Liverpool and Gremio team-mate Luis Suarez will resist the urge to follow Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to Inter Miami.

Liverpool and Barcelona great Suarez joined Gremio in January, having helped his boyhood club Nacional to the Uruguayan Primera Division title on his return to South America last year.

Suarez has scored four goals in 12 appearances in the Brazilian top flight this campaign, but his future is in doubt amid reports he is Miami's next big-name target. 

Miami have already signed Suarez's former Barca team-mates Messi, Busquets and Alba, and Sunday brought confirmation they had traded with the San Jose Earthquakes to gain another international registration slot.

That move has heightened speculation regarding a move for Suarez, and while Lucas understands the draw of MLS, he hopes Gremio can keep the striker.

Asked about Suarez's future, Lucas – who retired in March after being diagnosed with a heart issue – said: "He made a fantastic impact here in Brazil at Gremio. 

"I think made the right move. Luis is a world-class player, we don't need to speak about his qualities and what he's doing here in Brazil. 

"He's been linked, but I just hope he can stay at Gremio because it's my club and he's my neighbour here!

"I hope he stays a bit longer but MLS is getting attention from every player and from the fans. It's normal that he will be linked with big teams like Inter Miami."

After Messi marked his Miami debut with a dramatic free-kick winner against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, there has arguably never been a more compelling time to follow MLS.

Lucas is among those excited by the league's potential, adding: "MLS is growing every year, people are watching more MLS. If you look back maybe 10 years, nobody would have expected that. 

"Americans know how to do these things, so well done to them. Messi going there will just attract a lot of fans and people who will be following the league, so it's great.

"It's great because football should be everywhere in the world because it is a fantastic sport that people love to watch. 

"We can see him in another league, not in Europe. In America, it's a great thing for the fans that love football. It's a league that is improving and is growing and getting better every season."

Luis Suarez revealed a message of support for Lucas Leiva after scoring for Gremio on Sunday.

Suarez was reunited with his former Liverpool team-mate when he joined Gremio in December, though was unable to take to the field with the Brazilian midfielder.

Lucas had already been forced to withdraw from training earlier that month after the discovery of a heart issue was made during a routine screening.

After spending some time to evaluate and undergo further tests, the 36-year-old confirmed at a press conference on Friday that he had decided to call time on his playing days on doctors' advice.

Suarez – who played for Liverpool alongside Lucas between 2011 and 2014 – paid tribute to him after opening the scoring for Gremio at Ypiranga by revealing a written message on his under-shirt which read: "Lucas, our heart is with you, we are together".

Gremio's players also wore shirts with Lucas' name on the back, while head coach Renato Portaluppi adorned a t-shirt with the player's name.

Ypiranga went on to win 2-1 in the first leg of their Campeonato Gaucho semi-final through a 96th-minute penalty from Erick, with the second leg due to take place at Arena do Gremio on Saturday.

Lucas Leiva has announced the end of his playing career after undergoing tests for a heart problem.

The former Liverpool and Lazio midfielder was forced to withdraw from training at Brazilian club Gremio in December after the discovery was made during a routine screening.

After spending some time to evaluate and undergo further tests, Lucas confirmed at a press conference on Friday that he has decided to call time on his playing days.

"Firstly I would like to thank Gremio for all the support in these three months," a tearful Lucas said. "Today, I am announcing my retirement. 

"It's been a difficult period, I think this is the first time I've cried over this case. But I can only thank you. I'm ending where I'd like, not the way I'd like. But I'm sure a new cycle will begin.

"I had a lot of hope that it could reverse, but it was not the case. My health comes first."

Lucas was joined by Gremio president Alberto Guerra, vice president Paulo Caleffi, coach Renato Portaluppi and team-mate Pedro Geromel, as well as doctors Marcio Dornelles and Paulo Rabaldo.

Dr Dornelles revealed that the Brazilian's diagnosis was scarring in the myocardium. Further testing showed no change after three months away from football activity, and as a result, it was recommended that Lucas end his career.

Lucas made 337 appearances during a 10-year spell with Liverpool where he became a fan favourite at Anfield despite a difficult start, before joining Serie A giants Lazio in 2017.

After leaving Italy at the end of last season, the former Brazil international re-joined Gremio – the club where he began his career.

Gremio won promotion back to Brazil's top tier in 2022 after finishing second in Serie B, with Lucas scoring in the 3-0 win over Nautico that clinched it.

Luis Suarez marked his Gremio debut with a first-half hat-trick to set his new side on the way to a Recopa Gaucha triumph.

Uruguay striker Suarez joined the Brazilian club this month after helping boyhood club Nacional win the title back home in a brief spell ahead of the World Cup.

The 35-year-old promised goals as he signed a two-year contract at Gremio, and his bow certainly delivered that.

Facing Sao Luiz in a one-off match for the Recopa on Tuesday, Suarez's three goals had a 4-1 win wrapped up before half-time.

It was the first time Suarez had scored a first-half hat-trick in almost 10 years, last doing so for Liverpool against Norwich City in December 2013.

"Luisito's story couldn't start better here," read Gremio's Twitter page after Suarez had volleyed in his third.

Luis Suarez is braced for what he feels could be the greatest challenge of his career after joining Gremio.

Suarez was a free agent after leaving Nacional ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, at which he started two of Uruguay's three games as they suffered a surprise group-stage exit.

The former Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker penned a two-year contract with Gremio – who won promotion back to the Brazilian top flight after a one-season spell in Serie B last term – on New Year's Eve.

Asked whether joining Gremio represented his biggest challenge, Suarez told the club's media channels: "It could be, but I can also compare it with my time at Atletico Madrid.

"I won the league with Atletico when Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated football in Spain. 

"This one might be even more difficult, but I am convinced we have an incredible team and a coach that does things well and that has a great influence. 

"I always liked challenges. Coming to a club with so much history, a great club from Brazil, always gives you hope.

"For a team to come from Serie B and want to fight with the best in Brazilian football is a very nice challenge, for Gremio to return to where it deserves to be, among the teams that go to the Copa Libertadores, to be fighting up there and creating a good team."

Suarez scored eight times in 14 appearances as Nacional won the Primera Division title last year, and though the 35-year-old admits he is no longer the player he once was, he is confident he can make a difference.

"I am not the Luis Suarez of 2015, 2016 or 2013. I am not. I am not stupid," he said.

"I am not going to run 50 metres, because I am not that player anymore. 

"But maybe with my movement 50 metres from goal, my team-mates can benefit, because it is a team game. What I am going to promise is compromise, comradery, attitude, hunger and goals."

Luis Suarez has joined Brazilian club Gremio on a two-year deal.

The Uruguay striker was a free agent after leaving his boyhood club Nacional and will continue his career in Brazil.

Suarez was wanted by Mexican side Cruz Azul, but Gremio have won the race for his signature.

Porto Alegre-based club Gremio confirmed the signing of the 35-year-old on New Year's Eve.

Suarez helped Nacional to win the Primera Division title after returning to his homeland following his Atletico Madrid exit.

The veteran won four LaLiga titles during a hugely successful spell with Barcelona and claimed another with Atleti in the 2020-21 campaign.

He also lifted the Champions League trophy at Barca in 2015. 

Suarez won the Copa America with Uruguay in 2011, and is his country's all-time top goalscorer, with 68 in 137 games, though he failed to net during their recent World Cup campaign at Qatar 2022.

Lucas Leiva has been advised to step away from football for at least two to three months after undergoing tests following the detection of a heart issue.

The former Liverpool and Lazio midfielder was forced to withdraw from training at Brazilian club Gremio earlier this week after the discovery was made during a routine screening.

After announcing on Tuesday that he would be assessed, a further statement from Gremio's medical department was published on Lucas' Twitter page on Thursday providing an update.

"The Medical Department of Gremio communicates that, after alterations were diagnosed in one of the routine pre-season exams of the athlete Lucas Leiva, he was submitted to complementary evaluations and referred to specialists," the statement read.

"Once the evaluations were completed, conducted by doctors Leandro Zimerman and Ricardo Stein, it was determined that the athlete should stay away from high-performance physical activities for a period of two to three months, during which he will be accompanied, monitored and guided by the club's medical team and the aforementioned specialists.

"After this period, Lucas Leiva will undergo further examinations and evaluations to determine the evolution of his clinical condition."

Lucas made 337 appearances during a 10-year spell in England where, after a difficult start, he became a fan favourite at Anfield, before joining Serie A giants Lazio in 2017.

After leaving Italy at the end of last season, the former Brazil international re-joined Gremio – the club where he began his career.

Gremio won promotion back to Brazil's top tier in 2022 after finishing second in Serie B, with Lucas scoring in the 3-0 win over Nautico that clinched it.

Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva will undergo tests after the detection of a heart issue forced him to withdraw from training with Gremio.

Lucas made 247 Premier League appearances during a 10-year spell with Liverpool, scoring just one goal in the competition, before joining Serie A giants Lazio in 2017.

The former Brazil international then re-joined Gremio – the club where he began his career – after leaving Italy at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. 

On Tuesday, Lucas tweeted a statement from the Gremio's medical department, announcing he would sit out the team's pre-season preparations while undergoing assessment.

The statement read: "The Gremio medical department communicates that the athlete Lucas Leiva presented, in pre-season routine exams, a picture of having an altered cardiac rhythm.

"Consequently, he is removed from physical activities until the conclusion of complementary exams and treatment of the condition."

Gremio – who have won the joint-most Copa Libertadores titles of any Brazilian club (three) – won promotion from Brazil's second tier in 2022 after finishing second.

A question we've likely all been asked in job interviews is: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Admittedly, it's difficult to imagine Roman Abramovich adding that to his list of essential questions ahead of meeting prospective Chelsea managers during his time as owner. After all, no head coach even reached three and a half years in one go under the Russian's ownership.

But Luiz Felipe Scolari went into his ultimately brief stint as Chelsea boss with a fairly clear vision for his future. Attending his first Chelsea press conference in Neuchatel, Switzerland, where he was based with his Portugal team for Euro 2008, 'Felipao' – 59 at the time – gave himself another five years in management.

"I will be 60 soon and I don't want to be technical coach forever. I want to work for five more years and then I want to retire."

More than 14 years later, Scolari is at long last about to call it a day. But first he has one last shot at glory with Athletico Paranaense in Saturday's Copa Libertadores final, a success that he believes would be the "pinnacle" of 40-year coaching career.

The catalyst

The vast majority of Athletico's squad weren't even born when Scolari took charge of his first Libertadores final in 1995.

He led his beloved Gremio – the team he supported growing up – to their second continental crown on that occasion thanks to a 4-2 aggregate defeat of Colombia's Atletico Nacional in August 1995.

A comical Victor Marulanda own goal – a sliced lob over 'scorpion-kick' visionary Rene Higuita – sent Gremio on their way, before Mario Jardel pounced on a spill by the eccentric Atletico goalkeeper to make it 2-0 before half-time in the first leg.

Paolo Nunes slammed in from close range early in the second half after Higuita again failed to hold the ball. Juan Pablo Angel's clever finish at least ensured Atletico returned home with something to fight for in the second leg, and Victor Aristizabal's early goal back in Medellin stoked the belief, but Dinho finished them off from the spot in the 85th minute.

That Gremio side was a pure embodiment of the ethos that eventually defined Scolari's playing style. It may not have been a team full of superstars, but they were tough and hard-working. It wasn't quite 'jogo bonito', yet they were a clinical attacking force and Scolari guided them to six trophies in three years.

Nevertheless, Scolari's second Copa Libertadores success in 1999 – with Palmeiras – was arguably the precursor to his most famous achievement.

For starters, it was Palmeiras' first Libertadores title. Secured with a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Deportivo Cali after the two were locked at 2-2 at the end the two legs, the success elevated Scolari to an altogether different standing in management, proving his Gremio spell was no fluke.

"I cemented my career on that title, I really expanded my horizons and had the opportunity to grow. This was made possible by Palmeiras."

Global recognition

Less than a year after leaving Palmeiras for Cruzeiro in June 2000, Scolari landed the biggest job of them all.

With Brazil's World Cup qualification campaign in danger of failure, Scolari was brought in to get them over the line. He certainly achieved that.

The Selecao actually lost to Uruguay in Scolari's first game and they were humiliatingly knocked out of the 2001 Copa America by Honduras.

But they got the results to take them to Japan and South Korea, where they flourished.

Scolari's exclusion of Romario from the squad for the finals was contentious but soon forgotten once the tournament started, with Brazil inspired by the legendary trio of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.

They were comfortably the best team on display at the 2002 World Cup, winning all seven games – the first side to win 100 per cent of their games at a single edition of the tournament since 1970 – as they claimed a record-extending fifth title.

Scolari's career was made. He helped right the wrongs of 1998, and there was an acknowledgement he could do no more for the team as he left his post after the World Cup.

He subsequently took over Portugal and led them to the final of Euro 2004 before bowing out at the semi-final and quarter-final stages at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 respectively.

Scolari couldn't recreate his Brazil success with Portugal, but he was a World Cup winner and nothing could take that away.

The greatest achievement of all?

That five-year spell in charge of Portugal was something of an anomaly – Scolari had never even managed four years in one job and he's enjoyed a fairly nomadic career ever since his Chelsea exit in early 2009.

But in this period was a gutting low that even threatened to overshadow his 2002 World Cup success.

Of course, Scolari was in charge when Brazil were demolished on home soil by Germany at the 2014 World Cup, with the eventual champions remarkably winning their semi-final encounter 7-1 in Belo Horizonte in one of the most infamous games in tournament history.

Brazil players left the pitch in tears, Scolari went on to resign, and many would suggest Brazil still haven't healed from that nightmare.

"I need a hug," Scolari said as he returned to Gremio later that month. "I came back at this moment because I need a hug, some affection."

He may not have brought success back to Gremio, but he did go on to enjoy a trophy-laden spell in China with Guangzhou Evergrande, and he even guided Palmeiras to Brasileiro glory as recently as 2018.

But there's something considerably more remarkable about the situation he now finds himself in at Athletico – yes, that's Athletico rather than Atletico after the club reverted to their founding name in 2018.

Scolari was hired in May as a technical director and he also took the reins as coach until the end of the season, given the task of steadying the ship after Athletico hit a difficult patch that culminated in an embarrassing 5-0 Libertadores defeat to Bolivia's The Strongest, costing Fabio Carille his job.

No one can argue with Scolari's impact, leading Athletico – whom he claims have only the 13th-biggest budget in Brazil – to just their second Libertadores final. Flamengo await and are favourites, but Scolari has presided over a shock by even getting his team this far.

"This career is coming to an end indeed," he told the Associated Press. "If we win the Copa Libertadores, it will be the pinnacle of a career for which I worked a lot. I never expected this much, winning all that I have won."

It would've been easy for Scolari to walk away for good in 2014, punishing himself for Brazil's humiliation by disappearing into a retirement brought about by self-deprecation.

But he fought on and stands on the precipice of an achievement he believes will outshine all that have come before.

Douglas Costa looks to have played his last match for Juventus – or Bayern Munich for that matter – after agreeing a year-long loan move to Gremio.

The winger is contracted to Juventus through to the end of the 2021-22 sesson but he will spend that time back in his native Brazil, with the club at which he began his career.

Costa, 30, started this season at Juventus but joined another of his former teams, Bayern Munich, on a temporary basis in October and spent the rest of the campaign until now with the Bundesliga giants.

An injury-hit campaign meant Costa was not expected to extend that stay at Bayern, and his loan to the German giants was formally terminated on Friday.

Now the former Brazil international is heading back home, after 11 and a half years in Europe. He was initially acquired by Shakhtar Donetsk from Gremio in January 2010.

Juventus announced on their website: "Douglas Costa has officially signed for Gremio on a free loan from Juventus.

"The Brazilian winger, who joined Juventus back in 2017 and spent this past season on loan at Bayern Munich, will wear the shirt of the Porto Alegre outfit until 30 June 2022."

Costa won a league championship in every season but one of his career in Europe.

He helped Shakhtar win the Ukrainian title every year from 2010 to 2014 before they were denied by Dynamo Kiev in 2015, going on to lift the Bundesliga in 2016, 2017 and 2021 with Bayern, and Serie A in 2018, 2019 and 2020 with Juventus.