Urgent: São Paulo eye ex-Vasco Olympic champion as dream CB signing | OneFootball

Center-back Ricardo Graça, 29, was suggested to São Paulo’s board in recent days and has been discussed internally by the club as a solution in its desperate search in the market for a defender.

The Brazilian defender, who previously played for Vasco da Gama and was active in Japanese football until December of last year, is currently without a contract and available on the transfer market.

Graça gained prominence in Brazilian football in 2020, when he was part of Brazil’s Olympic gold medal-winning squad at the Tokyo Games. Left-footed and standing 1.82 meters tall, the player can also operate as a left-back.

The problem is his time out of action. Graça has not played professionally since December 7 of last year, when he underperformed in the promotion playoffs to the J.League top flight while playing for Júbilo Iwata.

So far, the top brass of São Paulo’s football department has not formally commented on any interest in opening negotiations with the player’s representatives. But as AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, his name was debated internally and preliminary talks with the center-back’s agents did take place.

The terms of a potential deal, in which Graça would even accept a performance-based contract (along the lines of the one under which São Paulo initially signed Sabino), appealed to the club’s directors.

The market opportunity comes at a time when São Paulo is prioritizing the search for reinforcements for its defensive sector.

Under a strict policy of financial austerity and dealing with limited cash flow, the club is focusing precisely on profiles like Graça’s: free agents or players available on loan who do not require immediate investment to acquire economic rights.

While assessing the viability of the former Vasco player’s name, São Paulo’s analysis department is keeping other options open in Europe, evaluating alternatives that meet the technical requirements set by the coaching staff for the remainder of the season’s competitions.

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