My name is Vicente Brandão. I am a student at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC, and I run El Mercado News, an independent soccer finance website.

I grew up speaking three languages—Spanish and Portuguese at home and with family, and English at school. My parents are from Spain and Portugal, so I have followed European football from a young age.

At some point, the financial side of the game started to interest me. Transfer fees, club valuations, broadcast deals, ownership structures. These decisions shape what happens on the pitch just as much as anything that happens in training.

I intend to write one article per week, but with a busy schedule, that can change. I update the market data every Sunday. I source everything from UEFA, Deloitte, Transfermarkt, and official club financial reports.