São Paulo fans split over Rodriguinho’s season, check it out | OneFootball

Midfielder Rodriguinho experienced a breakthrough season in 2025 during his fourth year with São Paulo's professional squad. Trained in Cotia, the 21-year-old player gained prominence with the arrival of Hernán Crespo and became one of the coach's trusted players throughout the year.

During the season, Rodriguinho played 28 matches, starting 13 of them, scoring one goal and providing one assist. According to SofaScore data, the midfielder took 33 shots, hitting the target ten times, in addition to recording 24 key passes and creating four big chances.

In a poll conducted by Gazeta Esportiva, opinions on Rodriguinho's season were balanced. The "good" option was the most voted, with 40.63% of the internet users, followed by "bad," which received 34.38% of the votes.

The "average" rating came right after, with 21.88%, while only 3.13% classified the season as "terrible."

Despite his technical growth, the young player couldn't escape the physical problems that affected much of the São Paulo squad. In February, he suffered a left knee injury and was sidelined for 66 days. He returned in the match against Náutico in the Copa do Brasil at Morumbis, where he scored his only goal of the season.

With Crespo's arrival and Oscar out of action due to various issues, including vertebra fractures, a calf injury, and a vasovagal syncope, Rodriguinho was promoted to the team's main playmaker. During this period, he played 18 consecutive matches, starting 12 of them.

However, in the second half of the year, his performance declined. The midfielder lost consistency, stopped contributing offensively, and felt knee pain again in October. As he prepared to return, he developed a respiratory condition that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Uncertain Future at São Paulo

With a contract valid until the end of 2026 and no progress in renewal talks, Rodriguinho's future at the club is uncertain. Recently, his name was mentioned in a possible negotiation with Botafogo, which would also involve Bobadilla and Pablo Maia.

In this scenario, São Paulo might choose to use the player as a bargaining chip in a definitive deal, avoiding the risk of a contractual standoff and losing the athlete at the end of the contract, as recently happened with the departure of full-back Welington.

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