São Paulo in talks for Gustavo Scarpa loan, he'd even take a pay cut | OneFootball

São Paulo have submitted an official proposal to sign attacking midfielder Gustavo Scarpa from Atlético-MG on a six-month loan.

The 32-year-old player has already given the green light to play for Tricolor until the end of this season and agreed to reduce his monthly wages to fit the financial reality of the São Paulo club — a restructuring model similar to the one used in the arrival of forward Victor Sá.

The deal is being handled by executive director Rafinha together with Paulo Bracks, the executive at the Minas Gerais club.

The Tricolor offer includes a temporary loan with a purchase option clause not tied to any performance targets, set at around 2 million euros (approximately R$12.2 million at the current exchange rate). A new contract with a salary increase will only be discussed if the São Paulo club exercises the right to sign him permanently at the end of the initial deal.

At Morumbi, the board and coaching staff see Scarpa as a key player and technical reference to take on the role of attacking midfielder, a position viewed as a weakness in the squad. Atlético-MG, in turn, views the negotiation positively for a player who has lost space in the main group.

In the current Brasileirão season, Scarpa has made ten appearances and scored one goal. The player, however, is currently following the schedule set by Atlético’s medical department after being diagnosed with edema in the adductor muscle of his right thigh — a problem detected while he was finishing his physical recovery from arthroscopy on his right knee.

Scarpa has not played for the Minas Gerais club since May 5, when he featured in the 2-2 draw with Uruguay’s Juventud in the Copa Sudamericana. Since then, he was on the bench in the matches against Juventude in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, but was not used by choice of Atlético’s coaching staff.

With the player’s approval secured, São Paulo and Atlético-MG are negotiating the final details of the operating costs to seal the deal before the transfer window closes.

OLD STORY

The link between São Paulo and Gustavo Scarpa goes back a long way. In 2018, Tricolor monitored the player as his contract with Fluminense, where he came through the ranks, was coming to an end, but at the time his preference was to join rivals Palmeiras.

Even before returning to Atlético-MG in January 2024, Scarpa had already been approached other times by the Morumbi club.

The most recent inquiry came at the end of April, as revealed by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, but on that occasion, despite mutual interest between the São Paulo side and the player, there was no agreement with Atlético’s board for his release.

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