Sidelined again: Hugo Leonardo loaned to Japan after two São Paulo games | OneFootball

São Paulo have agreed to loan out defensive midfielder Hugo Leonardo, 22, to Mito Hollyhock, a team in the Japanese first division, which officially announced the signing this Thursday (27). The deal between the parties will run until the end of 2027 and does not include a purchase option clause at the end of the period.

São Paulo’s board had been planning the player’s transfer in recent weeks as an alternative to ensure he gets playing time and minutes on the pitch, after he spent a long period away from activities due to a serious injury.

“I feel truly honored to be joining such a wonderful club. I will do my best in every training session and every match to achieve important victories and win many titles,” said Hugo, now already a Mito player.

Injury and few appearances

The 2025 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior champion, Hugo suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the final of that youth competition that year, requiring surgery. After a long physical rehabilitation process, the defensive midfielder returned to training with the first team and was once again included in the squad for official matches.

The midfielder, however, made only two appearances for Tricolor’s senior team. The first came shortly before his injury, in the opening match of the 2025 Paulista Championship, when São Paulo fielded reserves and youngsters against Botafogo-SP. He started and played 68 minutes.

His second and final appearance came in the match against Remo, before the break in the calendar for the World Cup, when he played 18 minutes after coming on in the second half. Adding up his appearances, he played only around 90 minutes for the club.

Developed by Ska Brasil, Hugo was signed outright by São Paulo for approximately R$400,000, corresponding to 80% of his economic rights. The player’s contract with the Morumbi club remains valid until December 2028.

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