Dorival's arrival prompts São Paulo to seek Thiago Maia release from Inter | OneFootball

São Paulo has been discussing more with Internacional than just the friendly match the club from Rio Grande do Sul wants to hold on July 11 at Beira-Rio.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR learned from sources in São Paulo’s top management, Inter’s invitation to stage the session is tied precisely to the Morumbi club’s attempt to secure the early release of one of their players. In fact, it is an old acquaintance: Thiago Maia.

The midfielder is not exactly a new name when it comes to speculation involving São Paulo. Since Rogério Ceni’s time in charge of the team in 2022, his name has come up as a potential signing desired by Tricolor.

It is a plausible option, not least because he has been sidelined by the club from Rio Grande do Sul, with only eight appearances this season, and his contract runs only until the end of the year. He has wanted to leave Beira-Rio since the start of the year, when he had even agreed to join Santos, where he came through the youth ranks, but a debt Inter owes Flamengo for his transfer blocked the move.

And he can sign a pre-contract with any club he wants starting Wednesday (7/1).

São Paulo has been in contact with Maia’s camp since March, when the name of the 29-year-old midfielder was requested by then-coach Roger Machado. His dismissal did not change the plans at all, since the player is a protégé of Dorival Júnior. It was the current São Paulo manager who backed him as a starter at Santos and turned him into the rival club’s captain.

According to the Rio Grande do Sul press, São Paulo and Inter even discussed the possibility of Maia’s early release last month; they were willing to send the player to Tricolor in exchange for Arboleda, but the Ecuadorian’s disciplinary issues weighed heavily and things cooled off.

There is no information that São Paulo has made any formal approach to Maia to sign a pre-contract. But with Dorival in charge, the player is likely interested in moving to Morumbi. Besides the former Santos player, the Morumbi club is also in talks with Newton of Botafogo.

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