Saga resumes: Luan out for 2026, eyed by Botafogo and Remo, swap for Pochettino | OneFootball

The most traditional saga of practically EVERY recent São Paulo transfer window is about to start again: Luan’s future.

Admired by coach Hernán Crespo, who insisted on his reintegration into the squad after he spent the entire first half of the year sidelined under Luis Zubeldía, the 26-year-old midfielder is, guess what, once again available for negotiation after having played seven matches for the club. He is under contract until the end of next year.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned that the internal assessment is that if an offer comes in for Luan, he will be negotiated. And that’s not all. The club also sees him as a potential bargaining chip in possible deals.

With that message out, the market has started to move. Botafogo, which had already made inquiries about the midfielder at the start of last year, was one of the clubs that reached out to his staff for information, but has not yet contacted São Paulo about a negotiation.

Remo, recently promoted to the first division, has also been looking into his situation and is reportedly in talks for a loan deal.

On São Paulo’s side, Luan is on the list of players the club intends to offer as part of the payment for the release of attacking midfielder Tomás Pochettino, who was relegated with Fortaleza in the last Brazilian Championship.

Pochettino is under contract with Fortaleza until December 2027. The club from Ceará knows he is an expensive player to keep in the squad for the second division, but that doesn’t mean they are willing to make his release easy.

For São Paulo, the situation has become more complicated financially. Fortaleza does not want a loan deal, as São Paulo had hoped. They want 4 million euros (about R$ 25.4 million) for the immediate release of the attacking midfielder.

Without the money, the Morumbi team has concluded that it will have to offer players to Fortaleza as part of the payment. And Luan will be one of those offered.

The assessment is that the chances of the deal going through have increased with the arrival of Tiago Carpini as Fortaleza’s coach. He worked with Luan during his time at São Paulo and even took the midfielder to Vitória when he coached the Bahia team in 2024.

As AMT revealed, Pochettino is eyeing another move to a club in São Paulo, in this case Santos, coached by Juan Pablo Vojvoda, considered a friend by the player and who is also making moves behind the scenes to try to sign him for the coastal rival.

São Paulo is evaluating potential midfielders, especially playmakers and attackers, to strengthen its squad starting next year. One option for the position is a request from coach Hernán Crespo, who has dealt with shortages in the area throughout the second half of this year, with Oscar and Rodriguinho sidelined by injuries and medical issues.

The club also wants to be prepared in case Oscar, one of the major signings of the season, actually decides to retire.

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