Could it happen: São Paulo eye Cotia defender who sued club | OneFootball

São Paulo is reportedly considering the signing of 25-year-old center-back Lucas Fasson as an option to strengthen its defense in the second half of the season.

The information was reported by journalist Samir Carvalho, but it had not been confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by sources within São Paulo’s top brass consulted up to the publication of this report.

The left-footed defender, who currently belongs to Lokomotiv Moscow of Russia and is represented by Giuliano Bertolucci, was offered to the board, and initial inquiries are said to have begun.

The market move was met negatively behind the scenes due to the player’s history of legal disputes with the club.

A product of Tricolor’s youth academy, Fasson was involved in a unilateral contract termination with São Paulo in 2020, alleging irregularities in his four-season deal, which had been signed before he reached legal age. At the time, the player obtained a provisional injunction from FIFA to transfer to Deportes La Serena of Chile.

The episode led to a lengthy legal battle. In April 2024, the Regional Labor Court of the 2nd Region (TRT-2) ruled in favor of São Paulo, overturning the first-instance decision and recognizing the club’s right to receive the termination penalty, with the case valued at an estimated R$150 million. Enforcement proceedings and any defensive appeals are still ongoing in the courts.

From an institutional standpoint, the case forced a change in policy at Morumbi, which began adopting contracts of no more than three years with underage players to mitigate legal risks.

Market criteria and alternatives for the back line

Despite the legal baggage, Lucas Fasson’s technical profile is viewed positively by the coaching staff, which is looking for a defender capable of playing on the left side of the back line and performing well in the air.

With his contract in Russia nearing its end, the player could return to Brazil without requiring a major investment to acquire his economic rights.

Alongside the talks involving Fasson, intermediaries offered São Paulo the name of 31-year-old center-back Samir Caetano, who currently plays for Al-Najmah in Saudi Arabia.

Although the representatives indicated the possibility of a free release from the Saudi club, the veteran’s wage demands were considered high. With inquiries into Fasson advancing, the Samir option ended up taking a back seat.

The search for defenders reflects São Paulo’s strategy of finding low-operating-cost solutions in this transfer window, so as not to compromise the financial planning set for the 2027 season.

On another front for the position, negotiations for center-back Arthur Chaves remain stalled due to Hoffenheim’s resistance to softening the terms of a loan deal, as we revealed in the video below.

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