Ceni’s prophecy: São Paulo near new deal for starlet Rodriguinho | OneFootball

Midfielder in advanced talks to stay at Tricolor (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram)

MARCIO MONTEIRO

@avantmtricolor

"Rodriguinho is a player who will play for São Paulo. Mark my words. He is talented, a good player, a good boy, he has a future at São Paulo. A boy who I think has a bright future," were the 'prophecies' of idol Rogério Ceni while training Tricolor in 2022.

The Mito's vision in July of that year about a young emerging talent who was only 18 years old was spot on. Today, in his season with the most games, 20 in total, for the professional team, midfielder Rodriguinho is a reality at the club and one of the big bets for the future of Tricolor.

So much so that São Paulo is in advanced talks to renew the contract with the young player formed in Cotia, as initially reported by ESPN on Friday (5).

The 21-year-old has a deal with Tricolor until December 2026, and negotiations now aim to extend the contract until 2028 or 2029.

ESTABLISHED HIMSELF IN 2025

Gaining more and more space with Hernán Crespo, and also benefiting from the high number of injuries in the team, Rodriguinho is having his best year at the club, with one goal and two assists, as well as great performances. As a result, some other teams have started to take notice of the Tricolor gem.

Tricolor is protecting itself by offering a salary increase to the attacking midfielder, which consequently also increases the player's termination fees in case another club wants to sign him.

According to ESPN, Rodriguinho's current termination clauses are R$ 90 million for the national market and US$ 40 million (about R$ 216 million) for abroad.

The midfielder is managed by agent Giuliano Bertolucci, who has a constant relationship with São Paulo, which has facilitated the negotiations, very close to being finalized for the player's continuity in the team.

Rodriguinho has always been Tricolor. He arrived in Cotia in 2015 to play for the under-11 team. He went through all the youth categories and began to attract attention. With the Brazilian Under-15 team, he won the South American Championship in 2019.

In 2022 he got his first opportunities in the top team, already with Rogério Ceni, and from this year he has established himself as an important piece of São Paulo.

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