Born on the 22nd day of March, 1994, Douglas dos Santos Justino de Melo, better known simply as Douglas or Douglas Santos began his career at Nautico, in the city of Recife in Brazil. After impressing at the club, the left-back signed for Spanish club Granada, but got caught up in a vicious cycle of going on loan, only to stay at the club he was loaned out to. Granada sold him to Udinese in 2014, who in turn sold him to Atletico Mineiro.
The move back home proved to be a catalyst in Douglas’ growth, as he spent three successful seasons at the club, racking up two goals and eight assists. During his time at Atletico, he even earned a cap for the Brazilian national team. His performances caught the attention of then Bundesliga club HSV Hamburg, who acquired the defender for 6.5 million euros. At Hamburg, Douglas became an important piece of the first team, and emerged as one of the club’s best players after their unfortunate relegation to the 2. Bundesliga. WhoScored.com ranked Santos as the third best player, and the best defender in the entire second Bundesliga for the 2018-19 season.
Though he is primarily a left back, the Brazilian also has played at left-midfield, defensive midfield and attacking midfield at points in his career. In his 88 appearances for Hamburg, he accrued a total of three goals and nine assists.
Douglas has become the fifth Brazilian to sign for Zenit, with Hulk, Hernani, Mauricio, and Giuliano being the others. The player could prove to be vital for Zenit this season, being of great help to Sergey Semak’s preferred wide system. With his progressive runs, through balls and ability to play in a variety of formations, Douglas will be our first choice left back this season.
All things considered, Douglas Santos is a welcome addition and great acquirement at Zenit, and will play a crucial role in the club’s future successes. What do you think of our new signing? Let us know on our social media platforms.
