Clayton to Sporting? Lions make final decision on Rio Ave striker | OneFootball

Exclusive Leonino - Although Clayton from Rio Ave was linked to the lions this transfer window, Sporting is not expected to proceed with his signing.

Sporting will not proceed with the signing of Clayton, Leonino knows. Despite the already known interest of the lions in the Rio Ave player, with the possible departure of Conrad Harder from Alvalade, the green and white structure has decided how to act regarding the Brazilian, as our Newspaper reports in this Exclusive.

The reasons for this decision by the Alvalade Club are clear: the Vila do Conde emblem is asking for around 15 million euros, an amount that the leonine officials consider too high for the Brazilian attacker, who is already 26 years old.

At this point, Fotis Ioannidis ends up being the only option for Sporting to strengthen Rui Borges' team. However, negotiations with Panathinaikos are encountering many difficulties and, if it does not happen, Harder may continue at Alvalade until the end of the season.

It is worth remembering that, besides Sporting, Porto, Benfica, Torino, and Zenit are also interested in signing the Rio Ave forward. The emblem from the city of Saint Petersburg made an approach to the Vila do Conde SAD with an offer of 10 million euros, which was ultimately rejected. The northern club has decided that it only intends to negotiate the Brazilian striker for higher numbers.

In the 2024/25 season, wearing the Rio Ave jersey, Clayton - valued at 5 million euros - scored 18 goals and provided two assists in 37 games. The 14 accurate shots he managed in the league placed him fourth on the list of top scorers in the competition. This season, he has scored three goals and provided one assist in just two matches played.

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