Family reject Brazil 'adventure', Duarte too pricey, São Paulo walk away | OneFootball

São Paulo definitively ended negotiations this Tuesday (9) to sign 31-year-old Portuguese center-back Domingos Duarte.

Officially, sources from São Paulo’s football leadership say the main reason for the deadlock was financial. The 1.92-meter-tall player asked for figures considered too high to play in Brazilian football and responded negatively to different contract models presented by the Morumbi club during the talks.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, however, has learned that there is more to it. After initially signaling positively about the opportunity to play in Brazil, the center-back faced resistance from his family about accompanying him to the country.

That was not, of course, the only obstacle. The report learned from more than one source that, beyond salary, Duarte’s camp began making financial demands starting last weekend. One of the issues was a reversal on receiving the signing bonus spread out across his wages over the course of the two-year contract with an option to renew, which had been under discussion.

“The impression is that after his family decided they did not want to move to Brazil, he started doing everything he could to derail the negotiations,” a source heard by AMT said.

According to that same person, the defender’s own representatives were upset by the extra demands made by Duarte. “The guys still tried to convince him, said it was an excellent opportunity, showed that Portuguese people like Abel (Ferreira, Palmeiras coach) and Cédric (Soares) live here without problems such as urban violence, for example. But the family wants to stay in Spain,” the source said.

Duarte was seen by Tricolor as a key piece for its depleted defense, which lost Dória and Arboleda. It was considered a unique market opportunity. The club’s own directors emphasized to him and his camp that he would arrive as the undisputed starter in the position.

With spells at Sporting and Granada, as well as call-ups to the Portugal national team, the player brings the international experience demanded by the board. He had been playing for Getafe, also in La Liga, but his contract ends on June 30, allowing him to arrive without the need to buy his rights.

With spells at Sporting and Granada, as well as call-ups to the Portugal national team, the player brings the international experience demanded by the board. He had been playing for Getafe, also in La Liga, but his contract ends on June 30, allowing him to arrive without the need to buy his rights.

Duarte’s profile appealed because of his leadership, physical strength, aerial presence, and quality playing out from the back.

He had already come close to Brazilian football in 2019, when he held talks with Flamengo to replace Pablo Marí.

On the field, he is known as a ball-playing center-back, with good distribution from the back, quality in the air, and reliability in set defensive situations. His main trait is his reading of the game and his ability to start moves from defense.

On the other hand, he is not a particularly fast defender, which means he performs better in systems with less exposed lines and greater defensive protection.

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