Kauã Prates: Cruzeiro wonderkid walks in the footsteps of Ronaldo and Vitor Roque

Talents Calendar 

Typically, attacking players, playmakers, and strikers are the young players who receive attention in Brazil. As a defender, Kauā Prates is one of the few exceptions. The Cruzeiro left-back is already a complete player at 17 and is already linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund.

Prates was born and raised in Montanha, in the state of Espírito Santo, the same region where RIcharlison grew up. It is a farming region focused on coffee and livestock breeding, with just a few football clubs. Belo Horizonte, the closest city, is 400 kilometres away, and despite that, the city’s biggest club held an open trial in the region in 2019. At the age of 10, Prates stood out and was signed for the youth team. A stroke of luck for the Brazilian first division club, because just six years later at the age of 16 years, 11 months, and six days, he made his professional debut in the Série A. Just to put it in perspective, the last two players to make their debut at that age were Ronaldo and Vitor Roque, currently the most valuable player in the league.

Playing a similar style to Serginho, the young Brazilian has won over his coach, Leonardo Jardim. The former Monaco head coach hints that he would sign Prates right away if he were still in charge at the Ligue 1 club. “He has enormous potential, with above-average maturity,” Jardin said to Transfermarkt. “His profile is that of a player with several important factors. In addition to technical quality, he has great physical quality: he is strong and has a good wingspan. In technical terms, he is a player with a well-defined style who excels at crossing. He is a balanced full-back that all coaches like. He is good at set pieces and has both defensive and offensive qualities. He is a very balanced player.”

This season, he has already featured in 12 games for the first team, and three times he played in the Copa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the Europa League. The left-back missed the U17 World Cup in Qatar last November as he was too important for his club. The only reason he hasn’t played more often is that Kaiki has been in excellent form. The left-back has been an essential part of Cruzeiro’s backline, and he saw his market value improve from €6m to €10m in last week’s market value update.

Prates also saw his market value increase by 500%, from €1m to €6m. The club is already hoping for a high transfer fee, and there’s no expectation that he will be around much longer. “He deserves praise for his maturity and performances at 16,” teammate Lucas Silva said. “He is already a great addition to the team, and Cruzeiro will probably sell him soon for a significant fee.”

Kauã Prates scouted by Dortmund – Role model is Tuta

One club that has been heavily linked to the player is Borussia Dortmund. “They seem to be ahead of everyone at the moment,” Transfermarkt Area Manager Brazil Thiago Rabelo said. Last October, both ESPN and Sky reported that the club was interested in the player. It makes sense. Dortmund will lose Almugera Kabar, and there is no proper backup available behind Daniel Svensson, as Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini are often used elsewhere. Furthermore, with the signing of Ecuadorian talent Justin Lerma, who will join in 2026, Dortmund have highlighted their willingness to sign young South American talent.

“Prates can play left-back, center-back, and even on the wing, and is probably interested in joining a Bundesliga club,” Rabelo said. “The player’s camp likes the example of Tuta, who developed at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.” Without a doubt, the youngster isn’t anywhere near fulfilling his full potential yet. “Imagine how good he will be at 20 if he is already this good at 17,” Jardim said.