Crespo lone voice for renewal, Luiz Gustavo set to leave São Paulo in 2026 | OneFootball

If it depends on the will of coach Hernán Crespo, Luiz Gustavo will remain a São Paulo player in 2026.

FORWARD MY TRICOLOR found out that despite the internal dislike from the board towards the veteran midfielder, due to his statements on the Maracanã field after the 6-0 defeat to Fluminense, the Argentine coach remains one of the player's biggest supporters, seeing him as a positive leader on and off the field for the team.

Crespo will not have an easy time convincing not only the board but also Luiz Gustavo himself to renew the contract that runs until the end of the year.

According to information initially released by the portal ‘Globo Esporte‘, Luiz Gustavo, even at 38 years old and recovered from a pulmonary embolism that kept him off the field for six months, decided to continue his career. With 59 games and six goals scored for Tricolor, the midfielder wants to seek a new destination.

The opinion is the same as the board, which seeks to rejuvenate the squad and save money. And as Luiz Gustavo's contract ends, it's a matter of combining the useful with the pleasant and taking advantage of the situation. The internal plan is for the club to use young names from the squad for the position, such as Negrucci and Hugo Leonardo, the latter having spent the year recovering from surgery.

The report found that Luiz Gustavo wants to experience new environments, exhausted by São Paulo's situation. His outburst on the field, although supported by the rest of the team, was a clear sign of exhaustion from the situation the club went through this year.

The board noticed the change in the player's stance. This is because right after his health problem, Luiz Gustavo talked about renewing for at least three more months due to the affection received from the fans. Things started to sour when the CBF changed the calendar and scheduled the start of the next Brazilian Championship for January. The board said they would only renew his contract if it was for another season, but the player backed down from his initial plans.

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