Opinion: São Paulo right to sign Newton, can grow under Dorival Júnior | OneFootball

By Vinícius Perazzini*

My take is that São Paulo is making a good deal. Newton is a defensive midfielder with good size (1.88m) and strength. He’s not the kind of midfielder who only breaks up play; he has a good short passing game. Over time, he also started taking more risks when playing diagonally out from the back, something he practically didn’t do in his first few months as a professional.

Developed by Jacuipense, he joined Botafogo in 2022 for the under-23s and was promoted to the senior squad in 2023. Last year, he enjoyed a strong spell as a starter under Davide Ancelotti. He lost space in 2026, especially after Franclim Carvalho arrived, but he was still an interesting player to add depth to the squad.

In March, he was close to being transferred to Santos, but the clubs were unable to sort out the paperwork before the transfer window closed. Santos would have paid 3 million euros.

Newton needs time and an environment that shields him from immediate pressure. He is a player with the potential to develop under Dorival Júnior at São Paulo.

THE NEGOTIATION

São Paulo and Botafogo reached a verbal agreement to formalize a permanent swap involving defensive midfielder Newton and Venezuelan center-back Nahuel Ferraresi.

As confirmed by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, with the financial terms aligned, the legal departments of both clubs are working on the contract wording to complete the bureaucratic procedures and make the deal official.

The talks, which began at the start of June, intensified in recent days until both sides reached a mutual understanding. As part of the financial arrangement, both São Paulo and Botafogo will retain significant percentages of the players’ economic rights for future transfers.

The structure of the deal also includes the approval of third parties holding rights, such as Jacuipense (BA), the midfielder’s formative club.

Initially, Botafogo insisted on releasing Newton only with a buy clause set at 5 million euros (around R$ 29.4 million). São Paulo offered 3 million euros (approximately R$ 17.7 million), which was rejected.

* Vinícius Perazzini is editor of The Sporting News website and a declared Botafogo supporter, a club he also covered as a reporter/beat writer for many years.

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