Vietnam's national team is about to have a Brazilian naturalized player.

HAGL Club is proceeding with the necessary steps to apply for Vietnamese citizenship for Brazilian defender Janclesio Almeida Santos.

The Mountain City club is now implementing the required steps to assist the Brazilian defender Janclesio Almeida Santos complete the Vietnamese citizenship process. If this process goes smoothly, the 1993-born player could be registered as a domestic player in the V-League.

Janclesio is a familiar name in Vietnamese football, having played here since 2019. The nearly 1.95m tall defender has worn the shirts of many clubs such as The Cong Viettel, Hong Linh Ha Tinh, SHB Da Nang, and Becamex Binh Duong. Before joining HAGL, he also spent time playing for Ninh Binh FC.

The Mountain City club's push to naturalize Janclesio stems from the fact they have already registered four foreign players for the season: Jairo, Marciel, Batista, and Conceicao. If the Brazilian defender becomes a Vietnamese citizen, HAGL will gain an additional quality option in defense without affecting the foreign player quota.

With his physical advantage and good aerial ability, Janclesio is assessed to significantly strengthen the defensive system of the Pleiku stadium team in the remaining part of the season.

If the naturalization is completed and professional criteria are met, Janclesio could also become a notable option for the Vietnam national team in the future. With ideal physique and experience from multiple seasons in Vietnam's top league, the 1993-born defender is seen as a player type that could add strength to the red-shirted team's defense if given the opportunity by coach Kim Sang Sik.