Gustavo Sá snubs big-money offer, Sporting target rocks market | OneFootball

Gustavo Sá's transfer from Famalicão to Al Ittihad fell through in the final hours of the transfer market, and the reasons why Sporting's target decided to stay in Portugal are now known. Despite positive progress in negotiations between the clubs, with obstacles to the agreement being overcome in the final stages, it was the midfielder himself who chose not to move to the Middle East.

According to gathered information, the Saudi club made several attempts to convince the young Portuguese international and even doubled the initial salary offer, increasing it from 2.5 million euros per year to 5 million. Even so, these amounts were not enough to sway the captain of the Famalicão team.

This outcome ultimately closed a process marked by advances and setbacks, including among the clubs' own managements. Initially, Al Ittihad was far from meeting the demands of the Minho club, but after adjustments, they came closer to the expectations of the SAD owned by Quantum Pacific, putting an initial offer of 17 million euros on the table.

When everything indicated that the deal would go through, the Saudi officials faced Gustavo Sá's firm stance, who prioritized the sporting aspect and chose to remain in Europe. It's worth noting that the player was on Sporting's radar, but the demands of the Minho club eventually deterred the Lions, as reported by Leonino, Exclusively.

This season, Gustavo Sá - valued at 16 million euros - played 21 matches wearing the Vila Nova de Famalicão jersey. In total, the young player accumulated 1,809 minutes, scoring four goals and providing one assist, being an undisputed starter in the team.

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