Big step: Vasco move to sign Matheus Gonçalves after green light | OneFootball

Vasco has stepped up its moves in the final stretch of the transfer window and taken an important step toward strengthening its attack. According to reporting published by journalists Cauê Rodrigues and Gustavo Tutinha from the Colina 1927 profile, the Rio club is moving forward to complete the signing of 21-year-old right winger Matheus Gonçalves, who belongs to Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia. The talks are progressing in parallel with the Cruz-Maltino board’s monitoring of Richarlison’s situation.

Vasco’s top brass already has the green light from the player’s camp, which has shown total interest in returning to Brazilian football in order to get regular playing time and regain his best competitive level. The plan being worked out by the São Januário board involves bringing in the forward on loan with a purchase option written into the contract, with only the Arab club’s official approval now remaining to formalize the deal.

+ URGENT! Felipe Melo STATES Richarlison to Vasco: “A decision from the heart”

Lack of opportunities in the Saudi league is an opening for Vasco

The chance to bring the Brazilian talent back opened up because of the period of obscurity the youngster is going through in the Middle East. Given the strict limit on foreign players set by the Saudi Pro League and the presence of international stars in the main squad, Matheus Gonçalves has lost space and has not even been included in the squad for the team’s official matches.

Without minutes this season and facing the prospect of a long spell of inactivity on the Asian continent, the player and his representatives immediately embraced Vasco’s project as the ideal platform to regain a leading role and play regularly in top-level competitions.

Who is Matheus Gonçalves?

Developed at Ninho do Urubu as one of the most technically gifted names of the 2005 generation and a winner of the U-20 Copa Libertadores, Matheus Gonçalves built his reputation with short dribbles, direct ball-carrying, and aggressiveness down the flanks. The player also had a solid spell with Red Bull Bragantino in 2023 before his economic rights were acquired by the Saudi club in the 2025/2026 cycle.

Unable to find space this international season, the winger sees Vasco da Gama as the perfect path back to the pitch. Pedro Emanuel’s coaching staff views the signing as an immediate solution to add pace out wide and increase the squad’s firepower in the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil, and the Copa Sudamericana.

+ Follow Papo na Colina on social media: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News.

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