Italian giant eyes Vasco player, club sets asking price | OneFootball

The year 2026 begins with Vasco da Gama needing to shield its top talents from international interest. The excellent 2025 season has put right-back Paulo Henrique in the global spotlight. According to reports from the Italian press, Inter Milan has started a “hunt” for a replacement for Dutchman Denzel Dumfries and has identified Vasco’s number 96 as the ideal profile for the position.

+ Vasco starts 2026 with 10 players in the final year of their contracts

Vasco sees value disagreement with Italians

The report from the Italian portal SportMediaset points out that, between the dream of signing Cancelo or the Palestra prospect, Inter sees Paulo Henrique as a “possible low-cost solution.” The nerazzurri board believes they could bring the player from Brazil for around 5 million euros (R$ 31 million).

However, the reality at São Januário is quite different. Vasco, aware that they have the Best Right-Back of the 2025 Brasileirão in their hands, considers the athlete an essential piece in their 2026 project. To open negotiations, the club set an initial price of around US$ 10 million (approximately R$ 55.3 million), more than double what the Europeans had in mind. Besides Inter, an Arab club has also made inquiries to the player’s representatives, although no official offer has reached President Pedrinho’s desk so far.

Paulo Henrique is enjoying a great moment at Colina – Photo: André Durão / ge

Career and National Team

Paulo Henrique is at the peak of his career. After playing for smaller clubs like Londrina, he arrived at Vasco in 2023, became a guaranteed starter, and made it to the Brazilian National Team, tallying two matches and one goal with the “Amarelinha.” In 2025, his numbers were impressive: 26 games in the Brasileirão, 1 goal, and 6 assists.

The player’s contract runs until 2028 (although the Italian press cites 2027). Paulo Henrique himself values his journey with the “Vasco Family” and has a clear goal: to play in the next World Cup. Both his staff and the player understand that a hasty departure now could reduce his chances of being called up, which weighs in favor of staying at Colina.

PH reached the National Team and has already scored a goal – Photo: Rafael Ribeiro/ CBF

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