Cruzeiro line up Walace loan to Vitória for rest of season | OneFootball

Cruzeiro is close to deciding the future of defensive midfielder Walace. According to reporter Heverton Guimarães, the club has moved forward with a loan deal for the player to Vitória for the remainder of the 2026 season, with most of his wages to be paid by the Minas Gerais club.

The negotiation comes at a time when the Cruzeiro board is working to reshape the squad and find destinations for players who have lost space under Artur Jorge. With no prospects of being used for the rest of the season, Walace has become one of the main candidates to leave Toca da Raposa in this transfer window.

Also according to Heverton Guimarães of HG Play, one of the points that made the deal possible was Cruzeiro’s willingness to continue paying most of the midfielder’s salary during the loan spell. The player’s high monthly cost had always been seen as an obstacle to a permanent transfer or even a loan without financial participation from Raposa.

Signed in July 2024 from Udinese of Italy, Walace arrived at Cruzeiro as one of the main signings of Pedro Lourenço’s administration. The investment was around R$ 36 million, with the expectation that the defensive midfielder would take on a leading role in Cruzeiro’s midfield.

However, the player was never able to establish himself. Amid inconsistent performances, coaching changes, and loss of space in the squad, the midfielder saw his involvement gradually decrease. In 2026, the situation worsened after an act of indiscipline that led to his removal from first-team activities. Since then, Walace has been training separately while awaiting a decision on his future.

In total, the defensive midfielder has made 51 appearances for Cruzeiro since joining the club and scored one goal. The player is under contract with Raposa until the end of 2028.

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