It appears that Edu’s influence at the club has already started following the acquisition of Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano.

Although the former Arsenal star hasn’t officially taken up his position as technical director, it is widely assumed that he will now the Copa America has ended.

After Martinelli, Edu may look once again to the Brazilian league for more hidden gems. Here are five that we think could fit the bill:

Walce

The 20-year-old has just broken into the Flamengo first team following a successful year where he also played at the South American Under 20 Championships.

Although Brazil did finish fifth in the final group stage, the centre-back performed well in most games, with his side conceding just seven in nine matches at the tournament.

Ramires

Not the former Chelsea player, he is a teenager who is putting in a number of exciting performances for Bahia in the Brazilian league.

Like Walce, he also played at the South American U20 Championships but played just four times in the competition. The 18-year-old generally plays in the number 10 role but can also be employed in a deeper position.

Antony

The winger is a player who has been heavily linked with a switch to Manchester City recently. He usually plays from the right-hand side, cutting back onto his stronger left foot.

Antony likes to dribble with the ball and has an 80% success rate for completed dribbles this season, according to Wyscout. He’s also a decent crosser of the ball with a 45% completion rate on his deliveries into the box.

The 19-year-old impressed during the recent Toulon tournament in France for Brazil’s Under 23s. He’s also broken into Sao Paulo’s first team over the past year.

Lincoln

The 18-year-old is a talented striker that has done well right through the different age groups for Brazil. He scored five goals in eight appearances at the South American Under 17 Championships in 2017.

Lincoln followed up that form at the U17 World Cup in India where he bagged three in seven games. At the most recent South American Under 20 Championships, he scored three in nine appearances.

The teenager has also broken through at senior level, having played 23 times for Flamengo.

Jean Pyerre

A slightly older player at 21 years of age, the playmaker has started the season in fine style for Gremio, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 13 games.

He is second in the Brazilian league for the most accurate passes in the final third of the pitch (93.44%) and is in the top ten for the most through balls per 90 minutes (1.98).