Leila Pereira on Danilo talks: ‘He wants to return to Palmeiras’

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Nosso Palestra

·17. Juli 2026

Leila Pereira on Danilo talks: ‘He wants to return to Palmeiras’

After the tribute paid to coach Abel Ferreira at Nubank Parque, president Leila Pereira spoke to the press this Friday (17) and confirmed that Palmeiras remains interested in signing defensive midfielder Danilo, currently at Botafogo. The executive said negotiations are ongoing, but stressed that there is still no concrete news regarding the possible transfer.

I was absolutely certain of that. As I said, we are interested in the player, yes, but we don’t have any news for you. Barros has been talking almost daily with Botafogo and with Danilo’s agents.

Leila also pointed out that the player’s desire could be an important factor in moving the talks forward.

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The interest remains and we are working on it. I believe so. His wish is to return to his home. I believe that, but it also depends on Botafogo. His wish is to come to Palmeiras.

Difficulties in the deal

NOSSO PALESTRA has learned that the club’s board continues to work on finding a solution to make the deal happen, but acknowledges the difficulties in overcoming the financial obstacles imposed by Botafogo.

According to people involved in the negotiations, there is currently a significant gap between the figures being discussed. The offer indicated by Palmeiras is about 30% below the amount the Rio club wants to release the midfielder.

During the talks, Verdão even considered including center-back Naves as part of the deal. However, the defender ended up being transferred to Necaxa, from Mexico, putting an end to that possibility. Even before the player’s move, Botafogo had already shown a preference for an exclusively financial deal, without involving players.

Even so, Palmeiras does not intend to walk away from the negotiations. Internally, there is an understanding that signing Danilo remains a priority for the rest of the season.

The desire also comes from the coaching staff. Abel Ferreira believes that the arrival of the defensive midfielder would be enough to end the club’s activity in the market in this window, with no need to seek reinforcements for other positions. In addition, the coach believes that keeping the core starting lineup intact will be crucial for Palmeiras to compete for the season’s main titles through the end of the year.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.