Who is Luis Henrique? Marseille winger heading for Inter after €23m verbal agreement

VILLARREAL, SPAIN – MARCH 14: Luis Henrique of Marseille battles for possession with Daniel Parejo of Villarreal CF during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 round of 16 second leg match between Villarreal CF and Olympique Marseille at Estadio de la Ceramica on March 14, 2024 in Villarreal, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Wednesday’s updates suggest that Inter now have a verbal agreement in place with Olympique de Marseille to sign Brazilian winger Luis Henrique on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window. Here is everything you need to know about the 23-year-old and his career to date. 

Inter agreement with Marseille for Luis Henrique 

Wednesday’s reports claim that there is a verbal agreement in place between Inter and Marseille over the signing of Luis Henrique. Sky Sport Italia reports that Inter will pay a fee of €23m plus up to €2m in bonuses depending on the team’s success in the Champions League over the next few seasons. 

There is also an agreement on personal terms already in place with a five-year contract running until the summer of 2030 being prepared. The Brazilian is likely to be with the squad in time for the start of the FIFA Club World Cup in mid-June.

The Nerazzurri have had to fend off interest from both Juventus and Premier League side Nottingham Forest in order to secure a deal for the former Botafogo man. 

Who is Luis Henrique? 

Luis Henrique is a 23-year-old winger from the city of João Pessoa in Northeastern Brazil. 

He grew up playing for the academy side at Três Passos, a partner club of Botafogo, whom he would later join in 2017. 

Luis Henrique would go on to make a handful of appearances for the Botafogo first team in both 2019 and 2020, attracting attention from the likes of Marseille, Juventus and reportedly Bayern Munich. 

He would go on to join Marseille in a reported €8m deal in September of 2020, and immediately became part of the first-team set-up, racking up 19 Ligue 1 appearances in his first term and 20 appearances in his second. 

The Brazilian was loaned back to his homeland, to Botafogo in an 18-month deal in 2022 and 2023. Though there was an option to buy included in the deal, Luis Henrique returned to Marseille for the 2023-24 season. 

2024-25, however, has been Luis Henrique’s true breakthrough. The 23-year-old has come up with nine goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season, including seven goals and eight assists from 33 Ligue 1 appearances, largely from the right flank. 

Luis Henrique is capable of covering in a number of roles on the right flank: He has grown up as a traditional winger, but has largely featured at right wing-back whenever Roberto De Zerbi has opted for a back three with Marseille this season. He has also occasionally been deployed in a more central attacking role on certain occasions. 

With Simone Inzaghi preferring a 3-5-2 system at Inter, Luis Henrique is expected to be deployed as a right wing-back, in the role currently occupied by Denzel Dumfries. 

Like the Brazilian, Dumfries also came up with seven goals from right wing-back in the league this season.