Rumours: Arsenal Women have a new teammate in their midst – teen star Olympian Giovana Queiroz
It´s rumoured that Barcelona´s Brazilian international forward, Gio Queiroz, will sign with Arsenal this summer but may spend some time on loan to Everton, presumably to give her some UK playing time and hone her skills in the UK football arena.
This young, highly rated 18-year-old player spent last season on loan at Levante in Spain. Gio has had lots of interested clubs this summer having become unhappy with her treatment at Barca.
Gio and Arsenal have been in discussions for a little while with the Brazilian keen to join the club but also keen to prioritise game time ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
As a result, Goal understands that she’s signed a long-term deal with Arsenal but will spend next season on loan at Everton ahead of the World Cup.
“On this list we have Marta and Giovana Queiroz. We have a famous and experienced player, and on the other side probably the future of the team,” Pia Sundhage, Brazil’s head coach, said in October, having called up teenager Gio for the first time.
Fast-forward nine months, and Gio is the second-youngest player at the women’s football tournament at this summer’s Olympic Games. She is an incredible 25 years younger, even, than team-mate Formiga, the oldest player at Tokyo 2020.
It has been a dream path for the forward, who celebrated her 18th birthday just last month, but it was not the only path she could have taken.
Born in Brazil, Gio moved to the United States at the age of four, then moved to Spain when she was 11 years old.
Giovana had the choice of playing internationally with Brazil, USA and Spain. Ultimately she chose the country of her birth and, ever since, has repeatedly used the word “dream”, be it in reference to representing Brazil at senior level or playing with Marta, one of her biggest heroes – the other being Lionel Messi, “who should also be Brazilian”, she joked in an interview with Marca.
“In Brazil they have shown me trust and [they] believe in me, and that for a player is very important,” she added.
There has been a lot of hype around Gio for some time now – having made her league debut at the tender age of 15 in Madrid, that is no shock.
I´m sure, if and when the time comes, we will welcome the young Giovana with open arms at Arsenal!
Michelle
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Great
And beautifull….