Keep him! São Paulo offer pay rise to keep Gustavo Santana to 2030 | OneFootball

São Paulo have begun behind-the-scenes moves to formalize a contract upgrade for 21-year-old forward Gustavo Santana, who has stood out in the team’s recent Brasileirão matches.

The club’s board has opened preliminary talks with the player’s representatives to extend his deal until 2030, along with a salary increase and a higher release clause, according to an initial report by UOL.

Although the player is under contract until October 2028 — tied to the club’s purchase of 80% of his economic rights from Cuiabá, completed in October last year — his current terms have raised concerns within São Paulo’s leadership.

The young player’s release clause is around R$24 million, an amount considered low by national market standards. Having drawn interest from overseas clubs due to his track record in youth football, Gustavo Santana has expressed his desire to stay at Morumbi.

Path to glory

Developed in Santos’ youth academy through the under-17 level, the forward went on to play for EC São Bernardo — where he made his senior debut and featured in the Copa Paulista — before joining Cuiabá in 2024. In February 2025, he arrived in Cotia on loan to join the under-20 side, scoring 13 goals in 45 matches. At the start of this season, he stood out in the team’s runner-up campaign in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior.

Despite going through a period of training separately after aging out of the youth ranks, the two-footed forward was integrated into the senior squad and gained prominence under head coach Dorival Júnior. The top scorer in training matches during the mid-season break, the player made his professional debut for Tricolor on August 8 against Grêmio.

His breakthrough in the first team came in the most recent rounds of the Brazilian Championship. Gustavo Santana scored a volley in the 2-1 win over Bragantino and found the net again in the 2-0 victory against Atlético-MG — a goal later ruled out for offside in the buildup. Those recent performances have established the youngster as Jonathan Calleri’s immediate backup in attack.

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