Borussia Dortmund have announced the signing of Brazilian teenager Kaua Prates from local side Cruzeiro. The 17-year-old will officially join the club in the summer.
A left-back by trade, Prates has penned a long-term deal that keeps him at the club until 2031 after successfully undergoing a medical this week.
He is currently under contract at Cruzeiro, where Prates will be playing until the end of the 2025-26 season in the Brazilian Serie A before linking up with the Bundesliga giants.
Upon sealing the move, the player expressed his delight at playing for a club of Dortmund's prestige and vowed to give his best right from the beginning.
""I am very proud that I will be able to play for this great club starting in the summer. I am really looking forward to it and will give my all from day one in black and yellow to be successful with BVB.""said Prates
After coming through the ranks at Cruzeiro's youth academy that he joined in 2019, Prates broke into the side's senior team in May last year at just 16 years of age and has since grown from strength to strength, accruing 17 appearances with the first team this season.
Composed with the ball at his feet and possessing excellent positional awareness, Prates will be a vital addition to Dortmund's backline. His presence would offer manager Niko Kovac some much-needed tactical flexibility as well as youthful energy for a robust defense.
The Croatian heaped praise on the young lad:
""A technically very talented lad who is right in the middle of life. Very thoughtful. I had the opportunity to meet him in person and really liked him. I think BVB have made a really good move here.""said Kovac
Prates' shifts with the club side hasn't gone unnoticed on the international stage, with the youngster helping Brazil's U17 side win the South American U17 Championship last year.
Dortmund's sporting manager Lars Ricken hailed Prates as among the best in South America while praising his vast range of qualities. He said:
"“With Kaua, we have been able to secure an extremely exciting player for us. He is still very young and is among the most talented players in South America. We are convinced that with his abilities, his ambition and his development potential, he fits Borussia Dortmund very well.""said Ricken
Prates will be officially presented as a Dortmund player in August ahead of the 2026-27 season.