AGONAsport Scouting Report: Who is new PAOK signing Léo Jabá
In signing Brazilian teenager and youth international Léo Jabá on a five-year deal from Akhmat Grozny, PAOK have strengthened their attacking line, dishing out five million for the forward. AGONAsport takes a closer look at his career to date.
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Born on August 2, 1998 in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, Leo Jaba (full name Leonardo Rodrigues Lima) stands at 1.78 meters tall, capable of competing up front or in his preferred position on the left wing. Technically gifted, Jaba is at his best when taking on opponents in 1-on-1 situations, beating his markers with fantastic shows of skill.
Immediately from a young age, Jaba stood out with his qualities, impressing with the Sao Paulo and Corinthians youth-set up. The young forward makes life difficult for opposing players when in possession of the ball, able to turn on the gas, display silky moves and compete with a mature calmness. When Brazil played against Singapore at a under 15’s tournament, Singaporean coach Nazir Nasir was taken aback by Jaba’s performance, revealing that he has everything required to be a great footballer. When asked about his inspiration, Jaba stated that he wants to make his father, who never made it as a professional, proud: “My father wanted to play professional football, but he couldn’t do it. I want to play football instead so he’s proud of me.”
CAREER BEGINS AT CORINTHIANS
In September 2016, Jaba became one of the youngest Corinthians from their youth setup to be promoted to the first team at the age of 17, eventually making his senior debut as a substitute against Internacional on November 21. A prospect for the future, he only made a total of three domestic championship appearances for the club across two seasons, failing to hit the back of the net.
AKHMAT GROZNY COME CALLING
Having attracted plenty of interest from Europe, Jaba opted to join Akhmat Grozny of the Russian Premier League in summer 2017, costing the Chechnya club a grand total of 2.5 million. While not setting the world on fire, he did make an impression in Russia, netting three goals in 24 championship matches. In comparison to his time at Corinthians, his role changed slightly with Akhmat, gifted a license to roam and create goalscoring opportunities without worrying about defensive duties.
A perfect example of his success in Russia is this goal against Amkar Perm at home, bursting past the defence with blistering pace and fooling the goalkeeper with a clever move at close range. Interestingly, the legendary Ronaldinho was at the Akhmat Arena in Grozny to witness Jaba’s wonderful marker:
Indeed, Jaba is one of the fastest players in the world at this moment in time, recording a top speed of 35.17 km/h in a Russian Premier League match with Rostov. In Thessaloniki, PAOK will certainly be hoping that the Brazilian can terrorise Super League defences and help the Dikefalos tou Vorra make a charge for a long-awaited title.
