São Paulo in talks to sign Gustavo Scarpa on loan, he’d cut wages | 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 lower his monthly wages to fit the financial reality of the São Paulo club — a salary adjustment similar to the one adopted for forward Victor Sá’s arrival.

The deal is being handled by executive director Rafinha alongside Paulo Bracks, Atlético’s executive.

São Paulo’s offer includes a temporary loan with a purchase option clause with no performance targets attached, 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 deal favorably for a player who has lost space in the main squad.

In the current Brazilian Championship season, Scarpa has made ten appearances and scored one goal. The player, however, is currently following a recovery plan with Atlético’s medical department after being diagnosed with edema in the adductor muscle of his right thigh — an issue detected while he was finishing the physical transition from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

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

LONG-STANDING INTEREST

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 youth ranks, was coming to an end, but at the time he preferred 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 latest inquiry came at the end of April, as revealed by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, but on that occasion, despite the mutual interest between the São Paulo side and the player, there was no agreement with Atlético’s board over his release.

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