São Paulo faces setback in bid for Ruan | OneFootball

São Paulo’s ambition to reinforce their back line has brought interest in Ruan Tressoldi, currently with Sassuolo in Italy, but club director Carlos Belmonte concedes the defender’s return looks unlikely at present, according to Arquibancada Tricolor.

Belmonte addressed the situation candidly, explaining that São Paulo “never wanted Ruan to leave” and emphasizing the club’s consistent desire to reunite with the 25-year-old. However, Sassuolo have shown no willingness to extend Ruan’s loan through the end of the 2026 season—São Paulo’s preferred arrangement. “Sassuolo has other proposals and does not intend to loan him to us until the end of 2026, which was our wish,” Belmonte said.

Ruan is now fully fit after recovering from a right knee injury that had concerned São Paulo’s technical staff in recent talks. The possibility of him adapting quickly to Brazilian football again is seen as a positive, with the defender having already played 15 times for Sassuolo this season, starting in 11 matches. Despite this, negotiations remain complicated, partly due to the strain left by previous transfer attempts, and São Paulo are realistic about the challenges of competing with offers from other clubs.

The strategy would be to bring Ruan in on a fresh loan with an option to purchase, ideally until the end of June 2026. Still, Belmonte admits this scenario is “very difficult,” citing both Sassuolo’s stance and external interest from other teams.

Ruan himself is understood to be open to a return to Brazil and has received other inquiries from clubs within the domestic market. Nevertheless, São Paulo’s pursuit now depends not only on Sassuolo’s willingness to negotiate but also on overcoming the fatigue of earlier drawn-out discussions.

Belmonte's remarks reflect both São Paulo’s desire to strengthen their defence and the complexities that often emerge when dealing with European clubs reluctant to let go of key assets while fielding several competing offers.

(Information from Arquibancada Tricolor)

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