End of an era: tired of waiting, Luan seeks São Paulo exit | OneFootball

Tired of waiting for a club willing to sign him under the conditions imposed by São Paulo (a free release provided the club retains part of his economic rights), defensive midfielder Luan, 27, has begun talks through his representatives to amicably terminate his contract with Tricolor, which runs until the end of the year.

Out of coach Dorival Júnior’s plans for the rest of the season, the player had already been training at alternative times, apart from the main squad at CT da Barra Funda.

The amicable termination process is in line with the football department’s restructuring plan and wage bill reduction for the second half of the year.

A product of São Paulo’s youth academy, Luan was promoted to the first team as a highly rated prospect and racked up important achievements throughout his time at the club. He was a key figure in a recent historic moment for Tricolor: winning the 2021 Campeonato Paulista, when he scored in the final against rivals Palmeiras and helped end the club’s nine-year trophy drought.

In recent years, however, the midfielder lost ground in the first team due to a string of serious injuries, physical inconsistency, and constant changes in the coaching staff.

Under Dorival, for example, that was exactly the case. The player was even a starter in the coach’s first matches during his most recent spell in 2023, but physical problems eventually pushed him out of the plans.

The following year, the defensive midfielder was loaned to Vitória. In 2025, the plan was to negotiate his transfer, but the player was given a lifeline with the return of Hernán Crespo—an outspoken admirer of his game—as head coach. Since the Argentine’s controversial dismissal in the first quarter of the year, Luan has received only limited opportunities, more because of injury problems in the squad than necessarily due to confidence in his football.

Luan’s decision to terminate his deal with São Paulo stems from the fact that potential suitors have pulled out of talks because of Tricolor’s demand to retain part of his rights in order to authorize his release.

As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR reported in June, Chapecoense made an initial approach to inquire about the terms of a deal, while Remo and Juventude are also monitoring the player’s situation.

The report found that, in order to secure an early release, Luan is willing to forgo amounts owed to him by the club, such as overdue wages, signing bonuses, and performance bonuses.

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