Grêmio sign Danilo Barbosa until 2028 after Saudi stint | OneFootball

Grêmio have announced the signing of Danilo Barbosa on a contract running to 2028. The club said in a statement that the 30-year-old will arrive in Porto Alegre this weekend to undergo a medical.

The Brazilian midfielder joins after a short spell at Al-Ula in the Saudi league, where he played 35 matches last season, scoring five goals and supplying two assists.

A Vasco da Gama academy graduate, he moved to Europe early and spent a season on loan at Valencia, making 34 appearances across La Liga, Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the Europa League.

That 2015-16 campaign was chaotic for Valencia, featuring four coaches. Nuno Espírito Santo lasted 13 matches, Voro took charge for one, Gary Neville oversaw 28 and is remembered as one of the club’s worst managers, before Pako Ayestarán finished the season with seven.

Danilo Barbosa struggled to settle and Valencia did not take up a 15 million option to buy. He returned to Braga, then had loans at Benfica and Standard Liège before moving out of Europe.

Under Rui Vitória at Benfica the team won the league and the Portuguese Cup in the same season, though he featured only five times. Back in Brazil he played for Palmeiras and Botafogo, winning the Copa Libertadores, the Copa do Brasil twice and the league once. He now returns home after Saudi Arabia to continue his career with Grêmio.

Source: Superdeporte

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