According to Bild, Borussia Dortmund have their eyes set on a particular Brazilian talent: Luighi, from Palmeiras. The prodigy is only 19 years old and, with an alleged pricetag of 20 to 25 million euros on him, many BVB fans might be curious about who this kid is and what the Black and Yellows actually see in him.
Most notably, Luighi gained the spotlight earlier this year, but unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. As Palmeiras was facing the Paraguayan side Cerro Porteño for the Libertadores under-21 and beating them at their home stadium, Luighi was racially abused by one of the fans at the venue and was spat on the face by another fan in the stands. The complaints on the pitch, however, did not stop the match or anything of the nature.
If that episode wasn't traumatic enough for the young star, Luighi went straight to the CONMEBOL (South American continental footballing organization) interview after the match was over. However, he was asked about the match's outcome instead of the racism. He then provided a courageous and sincere speech about racism in football and why this keeps happening without any consequences.
A few months after that day, there were still no real consequences to what happened, especially any that would manifest any drastic changes. Still, Luighi showed an incredible amount of character, and his talents on the pitch say much more about why Dortmund would be interested in bringing him to the Signal Iduna Park. Here is a quick profile on Luighi:
But who is Luighi after all? And what can he bring to BVB?
Luighi Hanri Sousa Santos (2006) is originally from São Paulo and part of the so-called "Golden Generation" from the Palmeiras youth team with Endrick and Estevão. He has been used to glories in youth football, with Palmeiras having one of the most competitive teams in those categories in terms of trophy-winning. He also had a good role in the Youth National Team, especially when he scored two goals in five games during the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Luighi became part of the Palmeiras first team in June 2024, making his debut for the club in July against EC Bahia. He scored his first professional goal in August last year, facing a difficult challenge against the powerhouse Flamengo in a 1-1 draw in Rio. Despite reports describing Luighi as a flanker, it is important to note that he fits more in a striker mold while also being able to play as a winger or second-striker.
His numbers are still not exponential in the professional Brazilian league, as he has just been included in the first team, and Palmeiras has great depth in their squad. In 2025, Luighi had only one goal and one assist for the professional team, while he also contributed to the youth teams. Therefore, opposed to what reports indicate, Luighi is very young and still gaining experience in professional football, which means he would probably demand some adaptation and development time if he were to come to Dortmund.
Still, his talents and character are two great traits that would be exciting enough for BVB to pull the trigger on his signing. He just wouldn't be an immediate solution, necessarily, as some of you might have read.