Urgent: São Paulo open talks with Portuguese giants to bolster defence | OneFootball

After failing to move forward with some of the names initially sounded out due to financial issues, São Paulo has opened negotiations with Portuguese center-back Domingos Duarte to strengthen its defense in the next transfer window.

At 31 years old and 1.92 meters tall, the defender — who built most of his career in Spanish football — is seen by Tricolor as a key piece for the position.

With spells at Sporting and Granada, as well as call-ups to the Portugal national team, the player brings the international experience demanded by the board. He had been playing for Getafe, also in La Liga, but his contract expires on June 30, allowing him to arrive without the need to buy his rights.

The search for a center-back has become a priority at Morumbi due to problems in that area of the squad for the rest of the season.

Duarte’s profile is appealing because of his leadership, physical strength, aerial presence, and quality in playing out from the back.

Talks are still at an early stage, but they are already underway. São Paulo is working to align salary figures, signing bonus, and other contractual terms with the player. The board does not see this as an obstacle. The player is viewed as a major market opportunity to raise the team’s level.

Duarte was already close to Brazilian football in 2019, when he entered negotiations with Flamengo to replace Pablo Marí.

On the field, he is known as a ball-playing center-back, with good distribution from the back, quality in the air, and reliability in set defensive situations. His main characteristic is his reading of the game and his ability to start attacking moves from defense.

On the other hand, he is not a particularly quick defender, which means he performs better in systems with less exposed back lines and greater defensive protection.

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