… Will cost a fortune
The name Franculino Gluda Dju may be unfamiliar to you, but unless something completely unexpected happens, he will be one of the biggest transfers of the summer. The 21-year-old Midtjylland striker will cost a fortune. Already this summer, there were dizzying offers on the table from several of Europe’s big clubs, but the Danes’ owner, Anders Holch Povlsen – one of Denmark’s richest businessmen – decided to keep him for one more season, so that his valuation could be tripled. And he was not wrong.
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The Guinea-Bissau player with a Portuguese passport has become one of the sensations in the Europa League and is steadily evolving. In Denmark, he averages one goal per game, and including the goals in Europe, he is in the same company as Harry Kane (22 goals), Kylian Mbappé (18) and Erling Haaland (18).
Goal machine!
Franculino grew up in Benfica’s youth academy, where he arrived as a child, but inexplicably, some overlooked his talent. Two years ago, he went to Denmark on a free transfer, and there he has found the perfect conditions to flourish. Midtjylland reacted quickly and understood that they had a diamond in the rough. They extended his contract until June 2029, so in the battle for his services – where clubs from the Premier League and Bundesliga have already shown interest – the Danish team will be left with a significant sum.
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A goalscorer with ambitions
Franculino is a physically strong and fast striker with a precise left-footed shot in the box. The national team player for Guinea is also very ambitious. Already a few months ago, before the goal explosion, he spoke out clearly: “I want more. I want to score more goals and get even better. My personal goal for the season is 25 goals across all competitions – anything beyond that will be a bonus.” He didn’t miss. Just after the start of the season, he already has 18 goals, and even though it will be difficult to fight for the European top scorer award with the stars of the Premier League, LaLiga and Bundesliga, he is not afraid to take on the challenge.
Record transfer in store
With this level and at the age of 21, the transfer fee next summer could be very high – unless the Danes choose to sell him as early as this winter. This year we have seen that goalscorers can cost the shirt, as in the case of United who paid over £75 million for three different strikers. Securing Franculino is going to trigger a bidding war. If a big club needs a striker in the near future, they will knock on the door. That’s for sure.
