São Paulo target young signings, more Cotia talent in 2026 plans | OneFootball

The board of São Paulo began, in a meeting last Wednesday, the planning for the next season. Among the club's priorities are the search for younger reinforcements in the transfer market and the intention to provide more opportunities to the boys from Cotia.

The plan to invest in younger players goes against the approach adopted by São Paulo’s top management in recent transfer windows. More experienced big names, such as Lucas, Oscar, Luiz Gustavo, and Rafael Tolói, were signed over the past two years.

The board’s decision to prioritize younger signings is due to three reasons: the club’s delicate financial situation, potential gains from future resales, and the serious injury crisis plaguing the professional squad. At the moment, Tricolor has nine players in the medical department.

Major signings for São Paulo in recent years, Lucas and Oscar were two names that generated a lot of excitement among fans at the start of the year. However, both suffered from physical problems throughout the season and were absent at crucial moments. Together, they only played 11 matches.

(Photo: Reproduction/juliocasares_sp)

Opportunity with Possible Resales

Another factor that weighed in favor of signing younger athletes was the possibility of a future resale. São Paulo’s board identified an opportunity to give these young players a chance and, perhaps, profit from potential negotiations in the future.

The delicate financial situation also prevents São Paulo from making ‘crazy’ moves in the transfer market. The São Paulo club has accumulated a debt of R$ 912 million. In addition, one of the requirements from the FIDC (Credit Rights Investment Fund) managers is that the club presents a surplus in all fiscal years starting in 2026.

Thus, the trend is for São Paulo to follow the formula adopted in this season’s transfer windows, seeking free agents or players on loan, with low financial cost. Three examples are Enzo Díaz, Marcos Antônio, and Rigoni, loaned from River Plate, Lazio, and Léon-MEX, respectively.

More Chances for Cotia

In addition to seeking younger reinforcements, São Paulo’s board also plans to give more opportunities to the boys from Cotia. The youth academy’s prospects have delivered in recent years, and this season was no different.

The Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, in fact, could be an opportunity for Hernán Crespo and his coaching staff to observe young players they believe have the potential to train with the professionals.

Names such as Lucca, Hugo, Lucas Ferreira, and Matheus Alves stood out in the youth competition and made their professional debuts this year. The last two have already been transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk and CSKA Moscow, respectively, which generated much criticism of the board from the fans.

São Paulo has been forced to part with promising young players for amounts below their potential due to the need to raise funds and meet the financial demands imposed by the FIDC. In addition to Lucas Ferreira and Matheus Alves, the club also sold Henrique Carmo to CSKA Moscow, William Gomes and Moreira to Porto, and Luiz Henrique to Real Murcia.

Lucca got chances with Zubeldía and Crespo this season (Photo: Rubens Chiri / São Paulo FC)

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