Despite debt and bigger US offer, Calleri defies camp for São Paulo stay | OneFootball

A change in the terms of the offer presented by São Paulo last week halted progress in the talks to renew Calleri’s contract, which runs until the end of the year.

According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, the striker’s representatives rejected the new commercial terms offered by the board, causing negotiations to fall back to their initial stage.

In addition to securing the forward’s stay, the board’s plan is aimed at addressing a financial liability with the player, whose accumulated amount is estimated at around R$6 million.

The outstanding debts refer to overdue image rights payments and contractual bonuses that the club has failed to pay since 2024.

São Paulo’s initial strategy was to include a repayment schedule for these pending amounts directly in the new contract, with the goal of spreading the financial impact over the term of the new deal.

Despite the gap between the parties’ financial positions, sources involved in the process believe the situation can still be reversed because of the player’s stance. People close to the talks say Calleri remains firmly intent on staying at Morumbi, turning down overseas offers that carry substantial financial advantages compared to what he currently earns in Brazilian football.

The Argentine forward is being monitored on the international market. Orlando City of the United States submitted a formal offer with figures above the player’s current financial reality. At the same time, clubs from Mexico and Argentina are assessing the situation, including Boca Juniors, which recently made inquiries to check the No. 9’s contractual situation and whose president, former attacking midfielder Juan Román Riquelme, is an outspoken admirer of the player.

Behind the scenes, the striker’s stance has been decisive in keeping the dialogue alive. Members of the player’s own camp had even indicated that a transfer would be the most viable alternative given the outstanding financial liability and the way the club has handled the meetings. Calleri, however, disagreed with his agents’ recommendation and reiterated that São Paulo is his priority, even barring the opening of talks with any other team in the domestic market.

The expectation among the club’s hierarchy and the player’s representatives is that meetings will resume in the coming days. The goal will be to build a business model that aligns the foundations for extending the deal with the financial engineering needed to fully settle the outstanding debts.

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