Gabriel Pereira (footballer, born 2000)

Gabriel Pereira Magalhães dos Santos (born 7 May 2000) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Gil Vicente.

Career
Pereira began playing football with his local club Araruama as a defensive midfielder for 4 years, before moving to the youth side of Sampaio Corrêa-RJ in late 2017 and transitiong to a centre-back.

In 2019, he was scouted by Volta Redonda and finished his development with their under-20s. On 27 January 2020, he signed his first professional contract with Volta Redonda until 2023.

On 3 August 2021, he moved to Liga Portugal 2 side Vilafranquense on loan with an option to buy. His option was activated for the second season, and he ended up making 46 league appearances with Vilafranquense.

On 30 January 2023, Pereira signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Primeira Liga club Gil Vicente, for a reported fee of €650.000 for 50% of the player's economic rights.

Playing style
Pereira is an ambidextrous centre-back who is a great tackler in 1v1 situations and when recovering from deep. He is an excellent passer who can eliminate pressure, and can also play long-diagonals to start up offensive play. He opts for risky maneuvers sometimes instead of making the most conventional decisions.