Ferraresi shines under Crespo, draws European interest | OneFootball

Venezuelan in a match of the current Brasileirão: solidity and standout performance (Victor Monteiro)

RAFAEL EMILIANO@rafaelemilianoo

The behind-the-scenes at São Paulo have been all about resilience after the staff of defender Ferraresi informed that clubs from Europe had approached them, interested in signing the Venezuelan.

The reason is quite simple: the 26-year-old player, established as an undisputed starter in the Tricolor defense and for his national team, has never hidden from the directors his desire to return to the Old Continent, from where he was signed by the City Group in 2022, first on loan (he was at Estoril, in Portugal).

Until then, in the last transfer windows—some of them when he was not in good standing with the squad—Ferraresi had received inquiries from Argentine, Mexican, and US teams, which did not interest him. There was a promise to his agents that European offers, however, would be considered with care.

The names of the potential suitors for the Venezuelan were not revealed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, but hints suggest they are second-tier clubs from France and Italy.

As much as São Paulo needs money, the club sees the interest in two ways. On a more practical level, they want to make a profit on the approximately R$ 20 million invested in the player’s permanent signing in 2024.

On the other hand, more complicated, is the well-known shortage in the squad’s defensive sector. With Hernán Crespo using three center-backs, the club understands that the five current available names are the limit. And that there would not be enough time (nor money) for a suitable replacement (the window closes next Tuesday, September 2).

Sources consulted by the report say the player was informed that the plan is to keep him, and he did not object. Aware of his importance, the good moment he’s experiencing, and that at this pace he could attract even better opportunities, Ferraresi asked his agents to hold back the interest.

A wise decision, since the Venezuelan has become, according to statistics, the best center-back in Brazil since Crespo’s arrival (ironically, with the previous coach Luis Zubeldía, he played more as a right-back).

Since the return of the Brazilian Championship after the Club World Cup break, Ferraresi is the only player with more than 40 tackles made in the competition (43!).

His performance is so impressive in this regard that he appears six times in the top ten list for most tackles in a single game in the current Brasileirão (he holds the second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth positions). All matches played after Crespo’s arrival (Internacional, Atlético-MG, Fluminense, and Corinthians, respectively, in the top five).

Considering the entire Brasileirão, from the start, the Venezuelan ranks second in tackles, with 54 in total, behind only his teammate Enzo Díaz, who has 56 such actions.

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