Leonino exclusive confirmed! Zalazar wanted, record buy for Sporting | OneFootball

Sporting are in the race for Rodrigo Zalazar, thus confirming a story reported exclusively by our newspaper (See HERE). The Lions have already opened talks with Braga, and Frederico Varandas believes his relationship with António Salvador could help facilitate any negotiations for the 26-year-old player.

The national sports press points to figures in the region of €30 million, which could make the athlete the most expensive player in the history of the Alvalade club. Sporting’s board is considering including players in the deal in an attempt to reduce the financial amount demanded by Braga and make the transfer more affordable.

The footballer is open to a possible move in the next transfer window. The player was close to joining Zenit in January 2025, in a deal that eventually collapsed due to the context of the war, and he remains ambitious to fight for bigger objectives.

The move comes at a time when Rui Borges already knows he is likely to lose key pieces in midfield. Morten Hjulmand continues to be tipped for a departure, Hidemasa Morita is very close to Leeds, and João Simões will miss the start of next season due to injury.

In 2025/26, Rodrigo Zalazar - valued at €22 million - has recorded 23 goals and eight assists across 46 matches, with 3,286 minutes played. The player was responsible for Braga’s draw against Sporting, both at Alvalade and in Minho, having converted two penalties deep into stoppage time.

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