Tricolor is aware of retirements, contract expirations and athletes being without space and having to undergo a team redraft
December 6
2025
– 08:06
(Updated at 8:06 a.m.)
São Paulo is already internally discussing the squad line-up for 2026. So much so that at the moment, seven players are emerging as candidates to leave the club at the end of the season. Situations vary between contracts about to expire, potential retirement, loan negotiations, in a recast scenario and financial constraints.
Four athletes only have contracts until December 31: Rigoni, Dinino, Leandro and Luiz Gustavo. The top three spent most of the year as reserves and did not produce a performance that would motivate the board to discuss new contracts.
The most delicate situation is that of Luiz Gustavo. At the age of 38, the midfielder has decided, after family conversations, that he will continue playing in 2026 and is looking for a final one-season contract. Despite his high salary and minimal impact on the pitch, there were only 12 appearances a year, and after he faced physical problems, he left his stay at Morumbis as an unknown.
Another experienced player who has to say goodbye is Oscar. After suffering a series of injuries since his return to Brazil, the midfielder suffered an episode of vasovagal syncope during CT scans, a condition that causes fainting due to a sudden drop in blood pressure. Thus, the incident accelerated the possibility of retirement, which must be announced by mutual agreement with the club at the end of the season.
Young people from São Paulo can also leave
In the expected departures, two youngsters who were trained at Cotia also feature: Patrick Lanza and Young. The left-back, who is currently third choice in the sector and has a contract until 2027, could participate in the negotiations if proposals deemed beneficial to the club emerge. The 23-year-old goalkeeper was unable to convert his first opportunities as a professional, conceding nine goals in three matches, including a 6-0 defeat to Fluminense. With Jandry back on loan at Juventude, at least one of the two must leave Sao Paulo.
According to coach Hernan Crespo, Tricolor’s planning for 2026 began once the team reached 45 points in the Brazilian league. With a limited budget, the Board of Directors is looking for specific reinforcements, analyzing options that would reduce costs and provide more stability to the team next season.
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