Out of Vasco's plans, player to train alone as Chapecoense show interest | OneFootball

Left-back Riquelme is not part of Vasco da Gama’s plans for the start of the 2026 season. According to journalist Venê Casagrande, the 23-year-old player will not train with the rest of the squad at the beginning of preseason and will be kept in separate activities while the board seeks a transfer.

The club’s intention is to negotiate the player’s departure, as he is under contract with Vasco until December 31, 2026. The expectation is to receive offers in the next transfer window to determine the defender’s future.

Chapecoense is one of the clubs interested in signing Riquelme. Vasco views a potential deal favorably, as it could ease the wage bill and open up space in the squad, especially considering the planning for the defensive sector.

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Photo: Reproduction.

Relationship with Fernando Diniz

Curiously, Riquelme experienced the best moment of his career precisely under the command of Fernando Diniz, in 2021. That season, during the coach’s first spell at Vasco, the left-back was considered a personal bet by the manager and played in 24 matches — the highest number of games for the player in a single year.

At the time, Diniz even publicly praised the player, describing him as “extremely talented” and stating that he had “a bright future ahead.” Despite this, the current scenario is different, and the player is not in the plans for 2026.

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Fernando Diniz and Riquelme at Vasco in 2021 — Photo: Diogo Reis/AGIF

While awaiting decisions about his future, Riquelme continues to train separately, waiting for a solution that meets both the club’s and the player’s interests.

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