The Santos man will have a huge responsibility to protect his back four as the only specialist defensive midfielder in coach Rogerio Micale's side
Thiago Maia arrived at Santos as a 13-year-old, dreaming of nothing more than making it as a pro.
His rise through the ranks at a club with such a storied past of promoting youth was rapid and he made his professional debut at 17, against Chapecoense in the Brazilian first division.
Having already shown his star quality in the youth teams of both club and country, he arrived in the senior side facing some big expectations.