Bombshell: ex-São Paulo works behind scenes to take Arboleda to rivals | OneFootball

On the one hand, the Arboleda saga is still far from a solution, with the player yet to return to Brazil to discuss terminating his contract with São Paulo. On the other, behind the scenes, the center-back has seen his name linked to transfer speculation for the second half of the year — one that would be even more painful for Tricolor fans.

A close friend of Arboleda from their days at Morumbi — after all, he played alongside the Ecuadorian for six years — right-back Igor Vinícius has been talking to the player in an effort to convince him to join rivals Santos, where he moved midway through last year.

The information was first reported by ‘RedeTV’ and confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by sources connected to both players.

At the moment, there has been no decisive step toward Arboleda joining Santos. But Igor Vinícius’s talks with the player are happening. On the coastal club’s side, according to our reporting, any move for the center-back depends on his situation with São Paulo being resolved.

In midweek, Santos traveled to Ecuador to play, and Igor Vinícius was caught talking to Arboleda’s friends when the rival team landed in the neighboring country.

MESS

As the report revealed, aware that a split with São Paulo is inevitable and could be costly for the player (Tricolor have already made it clear they do not intend to spend a single cent on the contract termination), the outlook is also bleak for his future. Initial talks with potential suitors for the Ecuadorian have been dropped because of the serious disciplinary issue and reports that he is facing major financial problems, which would make negotiations even more expensive.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR found that at least three clubs spoke with Pepe Chamurro, Arboleda’s agent. But none of them wanted to move forward. The obvious justification is that they are waiting for the outcome of his situation with São Paulo. But everyone knows the issue runs deeper than that.

LDU of Ecuador, Internacional and Vasco were interested in the Ecuadorian’s football. But they soon backed off after looking deeper into the situation and speaking with São Paulo.

Sources from São Paulo’s top brass told the outlet that LDU and Inter made initial contact asking about Arboleda. A rough proposal came from the club from Rio Grande do Sul, in a swap involving defensive midfielder Thiago Maia. But they quickly pulled back after hearing about the disciplinary incidents and the way the center-back is paid.

When the contract was last renewed, worried about the defender’s debts, São Paulo decided to take on the Ecuadorian’s outstanding liabilities totaling R$ 7 million with former agents, unpaid rent, car-related debts, among others.

That money, which would have been paid to Arboleda as a signing bonus, was instead passed on by Tricolor to the center-back’s creditors. Even so, he began earning R$ 700,000 per month, with another R$ 1.5 million spread over the course of the new deal, which runs until December 2027.

But the club was informed that new debts have come up. His former lawyer, for example, managed to freeze the player’s bank accounts and his Porsche. Other legal actions have also emerged.

In other words, signing Arboleda means having to take on those legal expenses. Especially because if a unilateral termination for job abandonment happens, São Paulo will no longer be the defender’s guarantor.

In Vasco’s case, the initial contact was for a loan until the end of the year with a purchase option set for the end. Tricolor turned it down. Arboleda’s staff then contacted Vasco’s staff, but it seems discipline was a factor, and not even Renato Gaúcho — famous for liking to work with ‘bad boys’ (for example, the Rio club is close to signing Corinthians’ Martínez, who also went AWOL from his rival earlier this year) — wants to work with the Ecuadorian.

Arboleda has not shown up at São Paulo since Saturday (4). At the start of last week, the 34-year-old player — the longest-serving member of the squad and the one with the most appearances in the current roster — called Rafinha and promised to report back to discuss terminating his contract, which did not happen. Tricolor understands that it was not an official communication and, therefore, the 24-hour deadline given to the center-back expired, with the club viewing it as job abandonment, opening the door to dismissal for just cause.

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