Crespo backs São Paulo move for Novorizontino’s top defender | OneFootball

Even with the public statement from the management that reinforcements are not a priority, the loan of Ferraresi to Botafogo seems to have affected coach Hernán Crespo. São Paulo is going to monitor the conditions for a potential signing of defender Patrick, a standout player from Novorizontino in the Campeonato Paulista (the team from the interior is competing for the title against rival Palmeiras).

The 26-year-old player is a product of Portuguesa's youth academy and has caught attention for his solid performance in the state championship. So much so that, besides Tricolor, other clubs have already approached the interior team inquiring about a negotiation. His stay in Novo Horizonte (SP) seems unlikely.

As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR found out this Saturday (7), São Paulo has not made a formal proposal or anything of the sort. They have only made inquiries about Patrick's situation, his potential interest in playing at Morumbi, and possible values in a hypothetical deal.

The defender has a contract until the end of 2027, and his market value is around R$ 1.8 million. An absolute starter for Tigre, he has played nine matches in the Paulistão, leading some statistics with an average of 0.7 interceptions per game, 1 tackle, 1.7 balls recovered, and 3.8 clearances. He has won 3.7 of the ball duels (61%), 1.6 ground duels (58%), and 2.1 aerial duels (63%). He performs 30.3 actions with the ball per match and completes 15.3 passes (73%).

The main attraction that makes Patrick a target for scouts, however, is the fact that he is left-footed. During his time at Lusa, for example, he has played as a left-back. A rare and desired asset for coaches, even though Crespo has two such options in the squad, Sabino and Dória.

Everything suggests that Tricolor sees Patrick as a market opportunity, given that the defense is one of the best-stocked sectors of the São Paulo squad. With Crespo's decision to abandon the use of three players in the sector, there are five immediate names for two spots (Dória, Rafael Tolói, Arboleda, Alan Franco, and Sabino), not to mention two youth players who usually train at Barra Funda (Igão and Isac).

The CBF has authorized a domestic window for players without a contract or who were competing in the state championships until the next 27th (Friday), which is why names like Patrick are valued in the market.

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