The essentials: São Paulo and Calleri begin talks over contract renewal | OneFootball

São Paulo has begun talks to renew Calleri’s contract, which ends at the end of the year. The discussions, led by football executive Rui Costa, are said to have started this week and are still at an early stage. The expectation is one of optimism regarding the extension of his contract for one or two more seasons.

Internally, keeping the 32-year-old striker is seen as a priority, so much so that a source from the club’s top management summed up the board’s position: “São Paulo needs him.”

Recent numbers help explain the interest in moving forward with negotiations. In addition to his current form, Calleri already holds a significant place in the club’s history. He is currently São Paulo’s second-highest foreign goal scorer, behind only the Uruguayan Pedro Rocha.

Furthermore, Calleri has scored eight goals in 14 matches this season, his best start to a year since arriving at Morumbi. In previous years, his most productive starts were in 2022, with six goals, and in 2016, 2021, 2023, and 2024, when he scored four.

In a historical comparison, the achievement also stands out. According to the club, considering the first 14 matches of each player in a season, the last to record similar performances were Gilberto and Hernanes in 2017, with ten and eight goals, respectively.

The São Paulo record in this regard, however, remains distant: Waldemar de Brito scored 29 times in the first 14 matches of 1933. Before him, Friedenreich had scored 22 in 1931, while Serginho Chulapa reached 20 in 1982.

Calleri is not the only player with a contract situation under discussion. Lucas Moura is also reportedly negotiating an extension, as his contract likewise ends in December. The 2026 season could mark a possible end of an era for some key members of the squad, but in recent months, the club has already managed to extend the contracts of other players.

Luciano, Marcos Antônio, and Sabino have had their contracts extended, as has Negrucci, whose renewal is the only one that has not yet been officially announced by the Tricolor.

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