# Hidden Gems: 5 Undervalued Targets in Portugal
The January window is here, and directors of football across Europe are about to hemorrhage cash on overpriced assets from the Premier League’s bench warmers. Meanwhile, the Primeira Liga continues to function as European football’s most reliable arbitrage opportunity—a league where clubs routinely develop €50M talents on €2M budgets, only to watch them leave for a fraction of their true value.
This isn’t about finding the next Rúben Dias. We’re hunting for the players operating in the margins: the 26-year-old goalkeeper keeping Porto’s backup spot warm, the midfielder at a relegation candidate who’s quietly creating chances at a rate that would make him a starter at half the clubs in Europe’s top five leagues. These are assets with compressed valuations, players whose market price doesn’t reflect their production because they lack the Instagram following or the agent connections to manufacture a bidding war.
Let’s talk value.
## The Goalkeeping Lottery: Three Shots, One Prize
Portugal has produced a conveyor belt of goalkeeping talent, and this season presents three contrasting profiles for clubs shopping at different price points.
**Diogo Meireles da Costa** sits behind Diogo Costa at Porto, maintaining a 7.22 rating across 1,350 minutes while conceding just four goals. That’s the defensive structure you’d expect from a Porto side, but it’s also a clean sample size—15 full appearances where he’s demonstrated he can operate at Champions League-adjacent level. At 26, he’s entered that sweet spot where he’s mature enough to command a backline but young enough to represent a decade of service. The real pitch here is positional: he’s a proven deputy at a club that demands technical proficiency with the ball at feet, yet he’ll never displace Costa. For a mid-table Serie A or Bundesliga side, he’s a ready-made starter at backup prices.
**Andrew da Silva Ventura** at Gil Vicente offers a younger profile at 24, with nine goals conceded across 1,316 minutes and a 7.11 rating. Gil Vicente doesn’t have Porto’s defensive infrastructure—they’re a mid-table side that concedes chances—so his numbers reflect a goalkeeper who’s actually tested week-to-week. The age profile suggests he hasn’t peaked yet, which matters for resale calculations. If you’re a Championship club with ambitions of promotion, or a Ligue 1 side outside the top six, Ventura represents the kind of calculated gamble that pays dividends when it works.
Then there’s **Lukáš Horníček**, 23 years old at Braga with 13 goals conceded and a 7.08 rating. The concession rate looks ugly at first glance, but context matters: Braga plays a high line, they commit bodies forward, and Horníček is dealing with exposed defensive situations that don’t exist at Porto. He’s three years younger than Meireles da Costa and operating in a more challenging tactical environment. For clubs that prioritize sweeper-keeper attributes over shot-stopping in a low block, he’s the youngest asset with the highest ceiling.
## The Creative Engine Running on Fumes
**Jérémy Livolant** is the best player in this dataset, and it’s not particularly close. At 27, the Casa Pia midfielder has contributed three goals and four assists across 1,312 minutes—direct production that translates to a goal involvement every 187 minutes. But the real story is in his creative output: 25 key passes, which positions him among the most productive chance creators in the Primeira Liga. He’s completed 14 of 31 dribbles, a 45% success rate that indicates he’s attempting progressive actions in congested spaces rather than padding stats with safe carries in open field.
Casa Pia currently sits in the relegation conversation, which suppresses his valuation. The market penalizes players at struggling clubs, assuming their production is inflated by “garbage time” statistics or system-dependent roles. That’s lazy analysis. Livolant’s numbers come with defensive responsibility—nine interceptions suggest he’s not a luxury player who disappears when his team loses possession. He’s a complete midfielder operating in an incomplete team, and his 7.19 rating reflects consistent performance across varied game states.
The financial case writes itself: Casa Pia will sell if the price is right, and “right” in this context means a fraction of what you’d pay for equivalent production in France or Germany. For a club in a possession-based system that needs a player who can progress the ball through the middle third, Livolant is the rare combination of immediate impact and contract-friendly timing.
## The Defensive Wildcard
**Leonardo Rodrigues dos Santos** at Nacional presents a more niche proposition. At 27, he’s contributed two goals from defense across 1,213 minutes—offensive production from a center-back that suggests he’s a set-piece threat. His 13 interceptions indicate active defensive reading, and the 71% dribble completion rate (five of seven) points to a player comfortable stepping into midfield to progress possession.
Nacional operates in the lower half of the table, which means Santos faces direct, physical football every week. There’s no hiding in a back three or relying on elite midfield shielding. The 7.05 rating across 14 appearances suggests consistency, which matters more for defenders than explosive upside. He won’t transform a backline, but he’s a functional asset who can deputize in multiple defensive roles and chip in with occasional goals. For clubs shopping in the €2-3M range who need defensive depth with some tactical flexibility, Santos is serviceable.
## The Long-Shot Bet
**Sérgio Miguel Lobo Araújo** rounds out the list, though his profile comes with significant caveats. At 26, the Santa Clara midfielder has posted three goals, one assist, and 20 key passes across 1,133 minutes. That’s a goal involvement every 283 minutes and creative production that hints at playmaking instincts.
The concern is efficiency: eight successful dribbles from 16 attempts represents a 50% completion rate, which is acceptable but not exceptional. His 6.91 rating is the lowest in this cohort, suggesting inconsistent performances across the sample. Seven interceptions indicate he contributes defensively, but the overall package reads as a player with flashes of quality rather than sustained excellence.
Santa Clara will sell cheap because they always sell cheap, and Araújo represents the type of low-risk punt that Championship clubs should be making routinely. If he adapts, you’ve found a rotation midfielder for under €2M. If he doesn’t, you’ve lost less money than you’d spend on a single week of an aging Premier League journeyman’s wages.
## The Verdict: Pick of the Week
**Jérémy Livolant** is the only player in this list who could start for a Europa League-level club tomorrow. Twenty-five key passes in 1,312 minutes means he’s creating a dangerous opportunity roughly every 52 minutes—production that belongs in a better team. His seven goal involvements in 15 appearances translate to tangible output, not speculative projection. At 27, he’s in his prime, which minimizes developmental risk while maximizing immediate contribution.
Casa Pia’s league position means you’ll pay €3-5M for a player whose production suggests he’s worth double that in a functional side. The resale value might be limited given his age, but that’s not the point—Livolant is a plug-and-play asset for clubs that need immediate creative help in midfield without committing €15M+ to a flashier name with inferior numbers.
Buy him before someone else notices what 25 key passes actually means.
