Board to Crespo: hoping to sell Pablo Maia, Rodriguinho this year | OneFootball

On Wednesday (29), São Paulo held its first planning meeting between the board and the coaching staff to outline the strategy for the 2026 season. Much of it, such as the profile of new signings and related matters, has already been anticipated by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR. However, one detail discussed at the meeting was uncovered by our report: possible departures from the squad.

President Julio Casares and director Carlos Belmonte were asked by coach Hernán Crespo if the board was considering the possibility of more player sales. And the answer could not be different for a club with serious financial problems: yes.

According to our findings, Crespo learned that two names are being considered to receive offers from European football: defensive midfielder Pablo Maia and attacking midfielder Rodriguinho.

The interest from European clubs in the duo is nothing new. Pablo Maia has long been considered a strong candidate for a profitable transfer for São Paulo since 2022, when he was promoted to the senior team. The Tricolor even turned down an offer from Fulham, England, at the end of that season.

In 2023, during the European summer transfer window, the club decided to heed then-coach Dorival Júnior’s request and kept the midfielder for the Copa do Brasil campaign. It paid off, resulting in a title, but the player ended up suffering a serious injury, which caused Spanish club Betis to withdraw their intended offer.

The situation with Rodriguinho is no different. During periods when he was sidelined and not getting opportunities, the player turned down loan offers from domestic teams. His staff decided to take action and found Turkish and Dutch clubs interested in his football. However, nothing concrete reached Morumbi.

According to the figures released by the club so far, there was a reduction in the club’s debt by R$ 56 million between January and September and revenue of R$ 233 million from the sale of academy players. Even so, according to AMT’s findings, the directive is to raise more funds to achieve greater balance in the professional football accounts, the most concerning sector according to reports from the Credit Rights Investment Fund (FIDC), prepared by the club in partnership with OutField Ventures and Galápagos Capital.

The internal expectation (which could be considered a dream) is to raise up to R$ 150 million from the sale of the two players.

The message to Crespo was clear: São Paulo will continue selling players in 2026. But just like with signings, Crespo will also be consulted regarding sales.

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