10 to go! Bahia expect Cauly back, São Paulo clause ‘hard to hit’ | OneFootball

São Paulo has specific targets detailed in the loan contract of midfielder Cauly that have been causing doubts among fans about the actual number of matches needed to trigger the clause for his purchase by the Morumbi club.

As reported by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, for the mandatory purchase clause to be triggered with Bahia, the 30-year-old player needs to play in 25 official matches, featuring for at least 45 minutes in each of them — a figure higher than the 20 games that had been mentioned. The number is not new and had already been revealed by AMT when he arrived in February.

In the Choque-Rei derby played last Saturday (12) against Palmeiras, Cauly reached his 15th match within the criteria set out in the agreement between Tricolor and Bahia.

As a result, the player needs to play ten more times with the minimum minutes by the end of the season for Tricolor to be required to acquire 50% of his economic rights from Bahia for the fixed amount of 2 million euros (R$ 11.9 million at the exchange rate of the day).

Favorable math x lack of space

Mathematically, São Paulo’s schedule offers conditions for the target to be met. São Paulo will still play at least 13 more matches until the end of the Brazilian Championship, plus the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals against Boca Juniors — a number of fixtures that could increase if the team advances in the continental competition.

However, the midfielder’s use under coach Dorival Júnior has reduced the likelihood of the trigger being activated. Cauly has lost space in the main rotation and did not reach the stipulated minutes in recent matches against Bragantino, Atlético-MG, and in the first leg against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, breaking his run in the starting lineup.

Bahia expects his return

Given the inconsistency in the midfielder’s playing time, Bahia’s board is pessimistic about the permanent purchase being triggered. For the temporary transfer, the Bahia side has already received 500,000 euros (approximately R$ 3 million).

In a statement to GE.com about the player’s situation, the football director of the Salvador-based club, Cadu Santoro, said that the current expectation is for the player to report back to Cidade Tricolor for the 2027 season.

“I think it will be difficult for him to hit the target, even though it is still mathematically possible. As part of our scouting work, we monitor all loaned-out players and produce reports. If he does not hit the target, he will report back here next season, and then we will discuss what will happen,” the executive assessed.

Santoro also noted that Bahia is open to considering new offers from the market if São Paulo does not exercise the purchase option at the end of the loan contract. Cauly is under contract with the Bahia club until December 2028.

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