São Paulo to loan academy midfielder to Alex's Série B side | OneFootball

São Paulo are in advanced talks to loan out defensive midfielder Negrucci, 22, to Athletic, a club from Minas Gerais that competes in Brazil’s Série B.

The deal under discussion would send the Cotia academy product out on loan for six months, meaning for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The financial operation includes monetary compensation for the Morumbi club, with the final figures still being worked out between the two boards.

The news was first reported by UOL and confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by club sources consulted throughout this Wednesday (15).

The imminent transfer has the backing of Athletic head coach Alex. The former midfielder worked directly with Negrucci during his time in charge of São Paulo’s under-20 side between 2021 and 2022, a period in which the defensive midfielder solidified his development before being integrated into the senior squad at Morumbi.

Contract protection and development plan

Although he has not managed to put together a consistent run of games with the first team, Negrucci is internally regarded as one of the most promising assets developed at the Cotia training center.

That internal valuation was reflected in the contract extension signed in February this year, which tied the midfielder to the club until December 2030, with an automatic renewal clause through 2031 based on performance targets.

São Paulo’s board included the following contractual safeguards in the player’s new deal, with his international release clause set at 100 million euros (approximately R$ 584 million at the current exchange rate).

Holding an Italian passport, Negrucci drew interest from clubs in that European country earlier this year, but chose to stay at São Paulo after being promised more playing time. At the time, under Argentine coach Hernán Crespo, he had been working as a center-back.

Despite the legal protection against overseas moves, São Paulo’s football department and coaching staff share the view that the player needs more minutes and professional-level competition to speed up his technical and physical development. As a result, a loan move to the Minas Gerais club is seen as the ideal scenario at this stage of his career.

Tricolor squad reshaping in the transfer window

Negrucci’s likely temporary departure is part of the squad adjustment and streamlining plan being carried out by São Paulo’s board for the second half of 2026. In addition to the defensive midfielder, the club has also arranged the recent departures of other first-team players:

Loans being finalized: Alan Franco (Tigres-MEX) and Tapia (Columbus Crew-USA);

Negotiations and contract terminations: Young (Portimonense-POR), Matheus Belém (FK Qabala-AZE), and the mutual termination of defensive midfielder Luan’s contract.

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