Renato Gaúcho link and million-pound hurdle: the truth on Arthur at Vasco | OneFootball

Midfielder Arthur, who said goodbye to Grêmio and is owned by Italy’s Juventus, had reportedly emerged as a target for Vasco for the second half of 2026. Vasco’s board put the club on alert, keeping an eye on a market opportunity to strengthen the squad. The biggest asset in trying to make a deal happen is head coach Renato Gaúcho, who worked with the player in Porto Alegre and has kept frequent contact with him since their academy days.

The coach reached out to the player to understand the conditions of a transfer and his interest in playing in Rio de Janeiro. However, the figures have alarmed the club’s executives. According to Rádio Itatiaia, the high salary is the main obstacle, as the 29-year-old midfielder and his agents are prioritizing a new opportunity in European football before considering a definitive return to Brazil.

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Arthur is not in talks with Vasco

The Atenção Vascaínos! channel looked into the behind-the-scenes situation and brought a definitive update on the case. The outlet confirmed that there are no ongoing negotiations for the player, neither from the Gigante da Colina nor from the player’s camp. With the huge financial gap and no open talks between the sides, the signing plan was promptly shelved.

Given the difficulty in moving forward, executive director Admar Lopes is looking for new paths in the transfer market. Signing a player for the position remains one of the coaching staff’s top priorities at Vasco. The idea is to find a name with strong ball-winning ability who fits the club’s current budget reality to fill the gap opened in the holding midfield area.

Arthur said goodbye to Grêmio but is unlikely to join Vasco – Photo: Lucas Uebel / Grêmio

Departures from the squad to ease the wage bill

To make room on the payroll and bring in fresh faces in the July window, the board is trying to offload some players who have been little used by the coaching staff. Defensive midfielders Hugo Moura and Tchê Tchê, whose contracts only run until December, have received offers from other teams and are expected to leave. Letting this duo go will help save valuable monthly resources for new investments during the season.

Set to return to the team are midfielder Jair and left-back Paulinho. The former is recovering from his latest major knee injury, while the latter arrives as the team’s new signing from América-MG. The squad will report back on Monday (22) to resume training for the remainder of the season.

Jair returns to the Vasco squad – Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

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