Months after Borussia Dortmund interest, Fernardo Pradella debuts for Santos | OneFootball

Fernardo Pradella made his Santos senior debut in a 4-2 defeat at Chapecoense, months after Borussia Dortmund’s interest. Named in the senior squad for the first time, the 17-year-old entered on 32 minutes of the second half, replacing Lautaro Díaz, in the Brasileirão opener at Arena Condá on Wednesday 28.

According to Diario Do Peixe, he trained with the first team this pre-season and Borussia Dortmund offered €4 million in June last year, conditional on him turning 18. His family are pursuing dual citizenship and he turns 18 on 3 July.

Dortmund’s proposal included eight weeks of training in Germany across the year while he stayed with Santos, but he was in physical transition after a hamstring injury and his representatives were handling mid-year talks, so the move cooled. Santos aim to develop him and keep a future percentage, with his contract running to 30 August 2027 and his height at 1.85 metres.

Born in 2008 in Osasco, he grew up idolising Ronaldo Fenômeno. He joined Santos in April 2022 after a trial and finished that year as the club’s Paulista Cup Under-14 top scorer with eight goals.

The year before last he became a starter under coach Raphael Bahia, top scored at the Copa Votorantim and Nike Cup, secured a Nike deal that remains in place, and earned Brazil Under-15 call-ups. He later progressed to Under-17 and Under-20 and now has one Brasileirão appearance in 2026.

Source: Diario Do Peixe