Napoli have agreed a deal with Brazilian side RB Bragantino for the transfer of 22-year-old centre back Natan, who is set to replace Kim Min-jae at the heart of the Partenopei defence.
Natan stands at 6’2” in height and spent four years of his adolescence in the youth ranks of Flamengo, making his first-team debut against Palmeiras in September 2020.
From there, he was sent on loan to Bragantino for 2021, with the Red Bull-owned side making the move permanent in January 2022 for a fee of around €4.3m.
A naturally left-footed defender, Natan had previously been deployed as a left-back before being converted into a central defender while at Flamengo.
Calciomercato.com notes that he is a ‘modern’ centre-back, someone who is good with the ball at his feet and is adept at carrying it out from the back. He is also said to possess strong physical attributes and tipped with being aggressive in the tackle.
He is however, still a developing player and has plenty of room to grow.
There have also been minor injury concerns in his early career, including a knee ligament issue just under three months ago, but now back to full fitness and has already registered five appearances this season.
Tiago Pinto and Roma had previously shown signs of interest in Natan. This time last year in fact, they had made an offer of around €7.5m plus bonuses, but Bragantino’s insistence on a €10m fee meant that the move didn’t materialise.
Napoli are now expected to pay the €10m fee instead.