By Tom Robinson.
QPR’s signing of Joao Henrique – better known as Esquerdinha – in January might not have turned many heads at the time but, for anyone familiar with the Brazilian teenage full-back, it represented one of the best under-the-radar transfers of the window.
Signed from Rio de Janeiro giants Fluminense, the 18-year-old left-back is a former Brazil U17 international with Libertadores experience who a number of top European clubs, including Barcelona, had been tracking for some time.
So the fact he chose to join the ambitious project in Shepherd’s Bush represents a huge coup for the Championship club.
Initially integrated into the QPR’s Development Squad, which currently competes in the Premier League Professional Development League, suggests there is already a joined-up, long-term plan in place for Esquerdinha’s development.
This smart move by CEO Christian Nourry and boss Martí Cifuentes ensured the club could secure the signing ahead of rivals, give him time to adapt to a new country over the winter and rest of the season and get him up to speed for the rigours of English football.
The move also represents a great use of GBE – the points-based criteria for international player visas – from QPR.
Players require 15 points to satisfy GBE regulations and through his appearances in the Brasileirão and in the Libertadores, in which Fluminense reached the quarter-finals, he gets an automatic pass.
This also means Esquerdinha doesn’t take up an ESC (Elite Significant Contribution) slot, effectively designed for players who don’t meet GBE requirements and wouldn’t get a work permit but are deemed to make a significant contribution for club and sport in the country.
Championship clubs can gain between two and four ESC places, depending on the number of minutes they give to English Qualified Players (EQR). Esquerdinha’s transfers therefore means QPR have secured a top South American youth prospect, without impinging on their ability to snap up other talented prospects that potentially don’t have the requisite points for GBE.
Enough of the acronyms…who is Esquerdinha and what can QPR – sorry, Queens Park Rangers – fans expect from him?
Strengths
First and foremost, Esquerdinha is a forward-thinking fullback. He’s always looking to get up the pitch, progress the ball, and get crosses in. As shown by his defensive activity, demonstrated by the Statsbomb data below, you can see where he typically looks to operate.
Calm and composed on the ball, he is a good passer and typically averages around 83% completion rate, based on stats from his senior minutes. This comfort in possession allows Esquerdinha to contribute to the build up in inverted roles too.
His crossing is a potent weapon and over his career has averaged 0.19 assists per 90 – equivalent to 1 every 5 games – which is a decent return for a full back.
“I’m really excited to develop my football now,” Esquerdinha said at his signing. “I’m an offensive player who likes to keep possession, take shots, and also put crosses into the box. I want to show what I can do as quickly as possible in order to make it to the first team.”
A look at his performances at the U17 World Cup show the positive value he provides when on the ball. His Pass OBV and Dribble and Carry OBV were in the 89th and 87th percentile respectively and his 6.16 deep progressions were also one of the highest in the tournament.
Areas for improvement
Understandably the transition to English football is a tough one and Esquerdinha will need time to adjust to the intensity and work on the defensive aspects of his game.
While his average of 7.47 defensive duels per 90 and 60.6% success rate, as per Wyscout data, is a respectable amount, he will have to deal with the increased physicality. This should be aided by the time spent with the Dev Squad, prepping him to be ready for first team football.
How’s it going so far?
An assist on his debut for the Dev squad in a 5-0 thrashing of Swansea was a promising start and he’s been slowly ramping up the number of minutes.
He then got his first start against Leicester, playing 75 minutes in a 2-0 victory that booked the Rs a place in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup.
More minutes as a starter have followed in games against Ipswich and Bournemouth, giving Esquerdinha vital minutes under his belt.
Looking forward
With Kenneth Paal, QPR’s current starting left back, set to be out of contract in the summer (according to Transfermrkt), it could be the case that the club already has a long-term succession plan in place.
And with Brazil in dire need of more depth in the full-back positions, Esquerdinha’s development will no doubt be monitored closely by those back in his homeland.
While it’s early days to see whether Esquerdinha is able to make an impact in the Championship, his signing and development certainly suggest that there is plenty of thought put into QPR’s recruitment strategy and squad planning.
QPR CEO Christian Nourry explained: “The club’s new approach to being more aggressive with Development Squad signings continues today with the arrival of Esquerdinha.”
“He has demonstrated at youth level for Brazil, and in his limited minutes with Fluminense, that he has the potential to develop into an interesting talent in the context of our inverted full-back profile.”
Should it be a success, it would be no surprise to see more clubs follow the lead set by the likes of QPR and Hull City and look to gain an advantage by scouting under-the-radar Brazilian and South American talent.
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