Bombshell: Inter sound out Enzo Díaz, offer Dorival's old target | OneFootball

An old wish of Dorival Júnior has returned to the agenda at São Paulo: defensive midfielder Thiago Maia, 29.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, Internacional, the club Maia is under contract with only until the end of the year, signaled that it would accept negotiating an early release to the Morumbi club in exchange for left-back Enzo Díaz.

Preliminary talks between the clubs have been taking place since the start of the week, a source from São Paulo’s football leadership told the outlet.

The suggestion to offer Thiago Maia came from the club from Rio Grande do Sul itself, which, in search of a left-back, inquired about Enzo Díaz’s situation.

Initially, Colorado asked São Paulo about the possibility of having Enzo Díaz until the end of the year. The Morumbi club is open to it, as long as the Argentine’s salary is paid in full by them, in addition to establishing a permanent purchase clause tied to the fulfillment of targets.

On Maia’s side, São Paulo tried to negotiate his release with the club from Rio Grande do Sul in June, but the deal did not move forward after they asked for Arboleda on loan, who at the time had been sidelined and was already in Dorival Júnior’s plans.

Since then, with Rui Costa’s departure from São Paulo’s football department, talks to sign a pre-contract were interrupted. And the Morumbi club even signed Newton as an option for the position.

São Paulo had been in contact with Maia’s camp since March, when the midfielder’s name was requested by then-coach Roger Machado. His dismissal changed nothing in the plans, since the player is a protégé of Dorival Júnior. It was São Paulo’s current manager who backed him as a starter at Santos and turned him into the rival club’s captain.

Showing signs that he will not renew his contract with Inter, Maia has lost considerable space in the squad. With ten matches played in the Brasileirão, he has not played since May 23, having remained on the bench for three matches since then without being used, in addition to dealing with a thigh injury.

Internal Friction and Loss of Space

The possibility of negotiating Enzo Díaz comes after a sharp change in his situation within São Paulo’s squad. Although he was in the plans for the 2026 season, the player has lost standing in recent weeks due to behind-the-scenes friction:

Financial dissatisfaction: The player’s camp raised internal complaints regarding delays in payments by the club.

Technical decision: After the complaints, the player showed a drop in performance in training sessions at CT da Barra Funda and was left out by coach Dorival Júnior from all matches after the World Cup.

Crowding in the Position and Iago’s Arrival

With the recent signing of Iago — brought in on a free loan from Bahia until the end of December — São Paulo now has three alternatives for the left side of defense: Wendell and Nicolas remain options.

São Paulo’s board stressed that Iago’s arrival was motivated by a market opportunity identified by the scouting department, with no direct connection to Enzo Díaz’s imminent departure.

Valued on the market at around 2.5 million euros (approximately R$15.5 million), the Argentine had previously attracted interest from Racing and Talleres, both from Argentina, as well as Charlotte FC from the United States.

Since arriving at Tricolor, the full-back has totaled 78 appearances, with one goal and seven assists, including 24 appearances and one assist this season.

Enzo joined Tricolor last year on loan from River Plate. At the start of this season, he ended up signing a permanent contract, released in a deal that culminated in Galoppo’s departure.

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