São Paulo boss: "Let's rally round Alisson" after failed rival move | OneFootball

Hernán Crespo was candid when commenting on the situation of Alisson. The midfielder from São Paulo was very close to becoming the newest signing for Corinthians, on loan, at the request of Dorival Júnior, but saw the deal fall through due to financial issues at Timão, who are currently unable to meet the amount requested by Tricolor.

Alisson had been training separately from the rest of the squad at SuperCT and even visited Corinthians' training center, but was reintegrated this Wednesday after the deal fell through. Crespo did not go into details about the situation but said the player would be used if he is in good physical condition.

“For me, it’s very simple. The details will have to be discussed by Rui Costa [football executive] and Rafinha [sports manager]. For now, let’s embrace him, he’s a São Paulo player. If he’s well, he’ll play,” Crespo said at a press conference after the match against Flamengo.

Coach Dorival Júnior, from Corinthians, also acknowledged that Alisson will not reinforce Corinthians. “I feel it. He’s a kid with quality, he still has a lot to give, a lot to work on. With me, he was very important. It’s a characteristic I needed, but it didn’t happen, it’s a shame,” he said.

The midfielder was criticized

The midfielder was criticized by São Paulo fans for negotiating with their rival. Hours before the match at Morumbis, a banner protesting against him was displayed around the Morumbis stadium.

The banner against the player was displayed around Roberto Gomes Pedrosa Square and read: “Alisson, traitor, São Paulo FC doesn’t need you”.

After both parties reached an agreement for the loan, Corinthians backtracked and decided not to pay R$ 1 million upfront to São Paulo for Alisson’s loan last Tuesday. The player will be reintegrated into the Tricolor squad but faces an uncertain future.

(Photo: Thais Bueno/Gazeta Press)

Frustrated negotiation

The deal was practically sealed, with only the R$ 1 million deposit from Corinthians remaining. Alisson, who wanted to work with coach Dorival Júnior again, even visited the Dr. Joaquim Grava training center.

However, at the last minute, Timão backed out of the agreement and decided not to make the payment. The club does not have the funds at the moment and does not intend to compromise its cash flow.

In addition to the R$ 1 million upfront payment, Corinthians would have to deposit another R$ 500,000 to São Paulo in the second half of the year. There was also a bonus of R$ 1.5 million if certain targets were met and a penalty of R$ 2 million if Alisson was included in the squad for matches against Tricolor. The purchase option at the end of the loan was set at 2.5 million euros (R$ 15.5 million).

The Timão board has not yet ruled out the deal. However, a possible resumption of talks depends on a change in São Paulo’s stance. Under the current terms, the operation is unlikely to go through.

The Morumbis club, in turn, is standing firm behind the scenes and refuses to give up the R$ 1 million upfront to release Alisson. Thus, at the moment, there is a high chance the deal will fall through.

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