Chico da Costa turns down move to Sport and is out of Cruzeiro's plans | OneFootball

Forward Chico da Costa will no longer be loaned to Sport. The player, who was involved in the deal that took defensive midfielder Zé Lucas to Cruzeiro, turned down the move to the Pernambuco club even after the agreement between the parties. The situation caused discomfort within Cruzeiro’s board and changed the plans for the player’s future.

The information was first reported by Central da Toca, which found that Chico da Costa’s transfer to Sport was on track and only depended on the completion of the final formalities. The forward, however, decided not to play for the Recife side.

According to the report, the decision did not sit well with Cruzeiro’s board. With the refusal, Chico da Costa is no longer an option for coach Artur Jorge and is expected to train separately from the rest of the squad at Toca da Raposa.

The deal involving Zé Lucas, on the other hand, has not changed. The 18-year-old defensive midfielder was signed by Cruzeiro from Sport and has already been officially presented by the Minas Gerais club, making him available to Artur Jorge for the rest of the season.

Chico da Costa was involved in the deal for Zé Lucas

Zé Lucas’s move to Cruzeiro was completed in an operation involving the payment of US$5 million, around R$25.4 million at the exchange rate reported by Central da Toca, for 60% of the young midfielder’s economic rights.

As part of the agreement, Cruzeiro would also loan Chico da Costa and Murilo Rhikman to Sport until the end of 2026. Murilo has already been officially announced by the Pernambuco club, while Chico backed out of the transfer.

With the change in circumstances, Cruzeiro and Sport are now looking for an alternative to replace Chico da Costa in the structure of the deal. The forward, in turn, will remain under contract with the Minas Gerais club, but outside the plans for the rest of the season.

Chico da Costa joined Cruzeiro in January at the recommendation of coach Tite, who left the club in April. The player was never able to establish himself in a Raposa shirt, having made only 14 appearances without scoring a single goal.

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