Pedro Junio: Gerson’s arrival impact, Gabigol loan to Santos

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·6 January 2026

Pedro Junio: Gerson’s arrival impact, Gabigol loan to Santos

In an interview with “Fala a fonte” on ESPN, Cruzeiro’s vice president of football, Pedro Junio, addressed the club’s financial planning for the 2026 season, especially in light of the possibility of a significant investment in signing midfielder Gerson.

Asked about potential impacts on the budget during the transfer window, vice president Pedro Junio explained that the scenario had already been considered in the club’s internal planning, since the need for reinforcements is specific and allows for more significant investments at the start of the year.

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“We have a forecast for the financial cash flow window, and the advantage we have in this window is that these are specific signings, which gives us the freedom to invest more in one player than another. Our biggest reinforcement today is maintaining our squad; it was one of the first conversations with Tite, it was his request to keep the squad together and bring in specific players who can come in and give him the opportunity to compete with those already here. We believe a lot in this squad.”

The executive also emphasized that any moves in the market are conditioned on the planning set for 2026 and on preserving Cruzeiro’s economic health. According to the executive, there is no room for decisions that would compromise the club’s financial balance, even in the face of negotiations considered strategic:

“With a view to bringing in Gerson or any other player, it’s all within a plan and budget that we’re already preparing for 2026. We’re not going to do anything crazy to disrupt the club’s cash flow because of one signing or another.”

When explaining the reasons behind Gabriel’s loan departure, Pedro Junio highlighted that the decision was made in alignment with the interests of both the player and the club. The executive emphasized the player’s desire for more playing time, the relationship of trust maintained throughout the season, and the terms of the agreement with Santos, also clarifying the financial responsibilities and the conditions set for the end of the loan.

“It was Gabriel’s wish to have more minutes; in his view, he had little playing time in 2025. He’s a player who has always been very correct and loyal to the club, always very loyal—Cruzeiro and Gabriel—we had a year of a very respectful relationship, Gabriel always very professional. Santos was interested, he wanted to return to Santos to get those minutes, so we arranged the loan to Santos.”

“Cruzeiro pays part of his salary, not the majority, but we do pay a part of it. Gabriel is on loan to Santos until December of this year and there is no pre-established purchase option, but Santos does have the first option to buy if they want to make an offer at the end of the loan; they have the preference to buy Gabriel,” he concluded.

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