Profile: OM's Patience with Luis Henrique is Paying Off

Luis Henrique is having a breakout 2024-25 season with Olympique de Marseille after early struggles when he made the move from Botafogo to the Ligue 1 side in 2020.

During the 2020-21 season, Henrique only recorded five assists in 24 appearances across all competitions and then in the 2021-22 season, the Brazilian only scored one goal and one assist.

Henrique went on loan to Botafogo for the 2022-23 season to find his confidence with his boyhood club. After that campaign, the 22-year-old continued to struggle when he returned to Marseille for the 2023-24 season, recording one goal in 24 appearances.

In an interview with Le Parisien last October, Henrique was asked whether he second guesses making the jump from Brazil to OM at 18.

“It was a very quick decision to make. It’s something I often think about. I hadn’t played 20 games as a professional. It’s perhaps a common situation in Brazil, players with little experience are contacted by big clubs like Marseille. At the time, Botafogo was in urgent need of money.”

Instead of letting the young player continue his career elsewhere, OM chose to bet on Henrique's potential to thrive under new coach Roberto De Zerbi, especially after he signed a contract extension in August, which he has lived up to.

This season, Henrique has scored six goals and provided four assists in 13 Ligue 1 appearances.

The young winger has been a key player for Marseille, who are currently in second place and on track to secure an automatic UEFA Champions League spot for next season. Last month, Henrique spoke about what has led to this success under De Zerbi.

"I am very happy with the style of play within the team. It is very beneficial for me, and I have the opportunity to have the ball, make the right choice to be decisive. I hope to continue like this, score more, and provide more assists to help the team."

After three straight matches without a goal, Henrique has found his scoring boots in the last two contests, scoring against RC Lens and AS Monaco to help OM secure the come-from-behind victory.

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