Vasco turn down R$31 million, set to shield Diniz’s key starter | OneFootball

The board of Vasco da Gama has taken a firm stance in the transfer market this week. In the face of concrete interest from European football, the club decided to prioritize the sporting aspect and rejected an official offer from Torino, of Italy, for midfielder Cauan Barros. According to information from the portal RTI Esporte, the rejected proposal was around 5 million euros (about R$ 31.3 million at the current exchange rate) for the economic rights of the 21-year-old player.

+ Vasco eases negotiations and a foreign player is expected to leave the club soon

Renewal Strategy at Vasco

The rejection of the Italians came along with an immediate appreciation plan. Aware that the athlete is in the spotlight, Vasco is already preparing a contract renewal proposal to extend Barros’s contract until the end of 2029. The goal is to grant a salary increase and, above all, raise the release clause to levels that will deter “low” offers from abroad.

The strategy is similar to the one recently used with striker Rayan: shielding homegrown talents to ensure they only leave for astronomical amounts or after providing consistent technical returns. Currently, Barros’s release clause is already set at 50 million euros (R$ 313.9 million), but the club wants to further reinforce this legal protection.

Importance for Diniz

Keeping Barros is considered vital for coach Fernando Diniz. The midfielder returned from loan at América-MG in August last year and quickly became a key piece in the team’s setup, securing a permanent starting spot in the final stretch of 2025.

With serious injuries to Jair and Mateus Carvalho (who will only return in the second half of the year), losing Barros now would be disastrous for the midfield planning. In 2025, he played 24 matches and scored one goal, showing the security and physical strength that have made him indispensable for the start of the 2026 season.

Cauan Barros in Vasco training at CT Moacyr Barbosa – Photo: Dikran Sahagian/Vasco

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