Millonarios end Villareal’s contract early, striker joins Cruzeiro | OneFootball

Millonarios, a club from Colombia, announced this Monday (24th) that they have terminated the contract with the young forward Néiser Villarreal ahead of schedule. The 20-year-old player already has a pre-contract signed with Cruzeiro for the 2026 season. Thus, the player is free to arrange his move to Belo Horizonte with a focus on the upcoming year.

In the current season for Millonarios, he played in 15 matches in the Colombian Championship (Apertura), recording three assists. His last match wearing the Bogotá team's jersey was in June, in a 2-1 defeat to Santa Fe.

Villarreal faced a series of conflicts with Millonarios after the Under-20 World Cup. The forward did not return to the club after the tournament, a move that increased internal tension and compromised his relationship with the management. Throughout the season, the young player accumulated episodes of friction, also influenced by his decision not to extend his contract with the Colombian team, which ultimately made the early separation inevitable.

Cruzeiro's plan was to have the player by mid-year, but negotiations did not progress with the Colombian club. As a result, the Raposa signed a pre-contract with the athlete, who did not agree to renew with Millonarios and thus would leave freely in December.

Revealed by Millonarios, Villarreal also stood out in Colombia's youth national teams. He had significant performances in the Under-20 National Team, being the top scorer in the South American Championship with eight goals and also scoring five times in the World Cup of the category, sharing the top scorer title with other players.

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