Santos weigh further signings after poor start and assess gaps in squad | OneFootball

Santos are weighing further additions this season as they assess thin areas of the squad after a flat start. According to Globo.com, discussions centre on adding depth without drifting into panic.

The club sit outside the Campeonato Paulista qualification places and opened the Brasileirão with a 4-2 defeat to Chapecoense. Internally, the view is the performance had positives, but defensive inconsistency proved costly.

One strand of the board favours recruiting a high-energy midfielder to absorb the fixture load and a winger regardless of Rony’s arrival. A left-back is also being considered to support Vini Lira, easing the burden created by Souza’s exit and Escobar’s sharp dip in form. Centre-back reinforcements are not planned for now.

There is concern the calendar could undermine the club’s aims without a deeper squad. Rony has arrived to cover Guilherme’s departure, yet another winger is still seen as necessary to compete for a starting place. Santos still have the Copa do Brasil and the Sul-Americana to contest and want to avoid last year’s early Copa exit to CRB.

Against Chapecoense, Juan Pablo Vojvoda used Gustavo Caballero, but the Paraguayan struggled and has slipped down the pecking order. Rony comes in with the status of a starter. In midfield, Willian Arão, Zé Rafael and João Schmidt lead the options, with some pushing to further upgrade for 2026 as Gabriel Bontempo returns from injury and Tomás Rincón offers a more defensive alternative from the bench.

Source: Globo.com