Among the plethora of center-backs touted as an emergency replacement in January at Liverpool, Turin’s Gleison Bremer may not be a name that jumps off the page.
However, as Jurgen Klopp’s staff at the rear continue to drop like flies, all leads need to be considered and Bremer represents an interesting option that has returned in recent days.
So here’s a rundown of what to know about the potentially Brazilian defender facing the unenviable task of replacing the imperious Virgil van Dijk.
As a proactive advocate, Bremer is never slow to get stuck, an approach encouraged since childhood.
Growing up in the Brazilian state of Bahia, Bremer was given a number of tasks on his father’s farm, as he explained in an interview with journalist Andersinho Marques: “As a child, I worked hard to help him, even taking care of the animals he raised: calves, cows, pigs, ”as quoted by Toro. “He never made me miss anything and if I’m here today it’s because of him.”
Along with these memories of abandoning the pigsties, Bremer has a constant reminder of his childhood in the form of his three-year-old wife Deborah Claudino – “a golden girl” – whom he has known since the age of five.
Success with the seniors may yet to come, but Bremer is very familiar with the feeling of hoisting a trophy or two.
A year after playing for the Sao Paulo youth team that triumphed in the 2016 Under-20 Copa do Brasil, Bremer repeated the feat at Atletico Mineiro.
After his loan spell with the Sao Paolo Youth in 2016, the country’s giants were caught hanging out on a decision about Bremer’s future, according to Brazilian publication Hoje em Dia.
Sao Paolo was lucky enough to secure Bremer’s services for another year for the paltry sum of R $ 280,000 (around £ 40,000) but delayed his decision, leaving the door open for Atletico Mineiro to rush in and take the 19-year-old. .
Bremer took advantage of a series of defensive injuries at Atletico’s senior squad to quickly secure a contract extension after just four games. In total, Bremer amassed just 26 first-team appearances for Atletico before Torino splashed over £ 5million for his signing in the summer of 2018.
After an 18-month stint in Turin, Bremer revealed the hardships he endured after moving to a new country at the age of 21, telling Brazilian publication Esporte Interativo: “When I came here, there at a year and a half, you know how the Brazilian you are: you want to get to play. But I did not understand the tactics of the Italian [football] very good, which is totally different from Brazil. It’s very tactical, it works a lot of space, it’s faster football. “
Moving to another club in Europe would undoubtedly require less adjustment time than changing Belo Horizonte for Turin. However, the general perception is that Serie A is being played at a slower pace than, say, the Premier League or the Bundesliga, which suggests that the center-back may need another grace period. if he were to leave the Italian elite.
Bremer might not enjoy overtly high status, but he’s certainly surrounded himself with the people who will help him cope.
According to Transfermarkt, Bremer is attached to CAA Base Ltd, the same agency that manages Tottenham Hotspur duo Heung-min Son and Dele Alli, former Spurs defender Kyle Walker and Real Madrid superstar Raphael Varane to name a few. only a few.
At a time when tactical flexibility has become a much sought after quality, Bremer has proven its worth in a number of systems, as he pointed out to the Torino Channel (via FantaCalcio): “I have played four [at the back] in Brazil and three with [Walter] Mazzarri [at Torino]. For me it’s the same, but when you play three, I can be more aggressive. “
The 23-year-old center-back may not regularly spray balls from the defense, but Bremer has proven to be one of the best in Serie A when it comes to smothering danger.
In his first campaign as a regular starter last season, only one Serie A player recorded more interceptions than Bremer according to FBRef. Only three top Italian players were able to improve the number of tackles and interceptions from the center-back combined in a campaign where he had plenty of opportunities to defend.
Torino started 2019/20 in the Europa League qualifiers but ended the season two places above the relegation zone. Bremer’s numbers have plummeted this quarter, as have Turin’s performance as a whole and, heading into the winter break this season, Il Toro is sitting at the foot of the board.
