Zé Lucas sidelined by Sport as talks continue with Flamengo and Cruzeiro | OneFootball

Sport have sidelined 18-year-old midfielder Zé Lucas while his next move is resolved in the mid-year window. Talks involve Shaktar Donetsk, a French top-flight club, and Brazilian sides Flamengo and Cruzeiro.

According to Globo.com, there is no formal offer yet, and Flamengo and Cruzeiro are in regular contact with Sport. Both are understood to have signalled plans for a paid loan.

Figures discussed with Flamengo include two and a half million euros fixed, about R$ 14.6 million, plus three to four million euros in bonuses tied to first-team involvement. He would start with the under-20s, with scope to step up.

Talks with all four clubs have heated up in recent days but remain far from a conclusion. Removing him from matchday squads was intended primarily to protect the player amid below-par form, rather than signalling an imminent exit.

The player’s camp lean towards a Brazilian Série A move built around minutes and a medium-term plan. Sport view a permanent transfer abroad, selling 60 to 80 percent of his economic rights, as more attractive given perceived immediate opportunities and potential later interest from big European clubs.

Earlier this year Sport lowered their stance from 12 million euros under former president Yuri Romão to a floor of seven million, with a ceiling of 14 million in 2026. Six months on, those figures are trending lower. His clauses remain R$ 100 million domestically and 50 million euros internationally.

Zé Lucas made his senior debut last year and has 57 appearances and two state titles for Sport.

Source: Globo.com