Cuca hails Arthur but swerves questions on Emerson Palmieri and Rodinei | OneFootball

Cuca has praised midfielder Arthur, who is set to be unveiled shortly by Santos, while steering clear of speculation over full-backs Emerson Palmieri and Rodinei.

According to Diario Do Peixe, he said he does not know about those mooted targets, stressed Arthur’s quality and fit, and left transfer talk to the board. He added that he wants to strengthen the group he already has, increase rotation, and is backing his players to put in a good performance on Wednesday.

Arthur has completed medicals and signed, with registration on the CBF’s BID and the club announcement still to come. He arrives as a free agent after his Juventus deal ended, on a contract until the end of this year with an option for one more season. The agreement is worth R$ 2 million between wages and signing-on fees.

After settling their transfer ban with help from NR Sports, the club are targeting full-backs before the 11 September deadline. Santos are pursuing left-back Emerson Palmieri, who is contracted to Olympique de Marseille until June 2027. A deal would only be viable if Marseille release him for free or agree a loan with Santos covering only his salary.

Talks for right-back Rodinei, contracted to Olympiacos until 30 June 2027, are well advanced, with the player seeking to terminate early. If released, he would join Santos on a deal running to December next year. In that scenario, Santos would only pay his salary.

Source: Diario Do Peixe

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