It's on: Oscar and São Paulo agree terms, move to end contract | OneFootball

São Paulo and Oscar are reportedly close to making the attacking midfielder’s contract termination official, in negotiations that have progressed over the past few weeks and would now depend only on signatures to be finalized.

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned that the agreement provides for a payment of around R$10 million to the player, a figure far lower than the R$60 million due through December 2027, when his contract would have expired.

The difference is explained by the player’s own decision to waive a significant part of what he was still owed, choosing to consider only the period up to last November, when he suffered a sudden illness during exams at CT da Barra Funda, later diagnosed as vasovagal syncope.

After the episode, which led him to end his career, the talks moved toward a negotiated outcome.

THE CASE

One of the topics most discussed by São Paulo’s new president, Harry Massis Júnior, with the professional football department was the progress of negotiations to terminate attacking midfielder Oscar’s contract. He did not report back for this season and has only not officially announced his retirement yet because he has not reached an agreement with the Morumbi club over the amounts he is still owed under a deal that runs through the end of 2027.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, Massis wants the process to move faster. After receiving São Paulo’s financial reports from CEO Márcio Carlomagno, the president and his allies noted that defining exactly how much Oscar will cost the club each month is essential to determine how much cash flow will be consumed and how much the club will be able to invest in the squad for the rest of the year.

Massis’ pressure is aimed mainly at the legal and financial departments, since the saga over the termination of the former No. 8’s contract still seems far from a resolution. In fact, at this point the two sides still have disagreements on the matter.

AMT has already revealed that, in the calculations made by Oscar and his staff, São Paulo owes him approximately R$62 million, including portions of salary, image rights, and signing bonuses.

In at least three meetings held since December, all while Tricolor was still chaired by Julio Casares, Oscar showed himself willing to split the amount into more than 24 monthly installments. But the Morumbi club disputed the figure. Since then, the legal and financial departments have been combing through the contract and the accounts to confirm or reject the amount.

The midfielder’s lawyers argue that Casares may have acknowledged the debt when he suggested that Oscar receive the installments in the form of salary during a possible internship as a manager in Cotia. Oscar wants to stay in football after retiring, and it would be a way to remain at São Paulo while preparing for his new role.

The opening given by the former president, however, was ignored at the request of the former No. 8 himself, who does not want fights or conflicts and accepted the timeframe of the internal audit to hear São Paulo’s response.

In fact, also at Oscar’s instruction to his lawyers, there is so far a consensus between the parties that the attacking midfielder and the club will simply terminate the contract amicably, that is, with no penalty payment from either side. He will also waive what he would have been entitled to receive from this month onward for the remainder of the deal.

FAMILY PRESSURE

The decision to hang up his boots came from Oscar after he suffered vasovagal syncope on November 11.

At first, Oscar was only expected to return to work when the squad reported back for the 2026 preseason. But São Paulo’s board maintains the position of leaving in his hands the decision of when and how to return to training.

It would also give the No. 8 more time to decide whether or not to retire, as his family wants.

Oscar was hospitalized in a hospital in the west side of the city of São Paulo after presenting a complication with cardiological changes during exams carried out at CT da Barra Funda. Oscar even fainted and lost consciousness during a physical assessment activity.

An extensive investigation carried out at the hospital confirmed that the player had an episode of vasovagal syncope. Stable and clinically well throughout the hospitalization period, the athlete is following a medical rest plan over the next few days.

After the scare, there is a consensus inside Tricolor that there is no rush or pressure of any kind for the midfielder’s return. Oscar will stay away from activities for as long as he feels necessary and will have the club’s full support in his decision.

The same applies to the future. São Paulo executives have at no point discussed retirement with the No. 8. Officially or not, the stance is the same: Oscar has a contract until the end of 2027, the priority now is his recovery, not only physical but emotional as well, and the decision is strictly personal.

From São Paulo’s side, the order is to continue contractually as things are, with no changes to clauses or amounts.

“He has two more years on his contract, and we’ll give him all the time necessary for his recovery and for him to think about what’s best for him. The important thing is that it wasn’t anything serious and that he’s already with his family. Our priority is to see him well. There aren’t even any reasons for any discussion beyond that. Above all, we respect what Oscar means and his importance to São Paulo,” a source from São Paulo’s football leadership told AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, asking not to be identified.

Signed at the start of the season, Oscar has two goals and five assists in the 21 matches he has played for São Paulo. Sources close to the player consulted by the report say the family’s request is for him to hang up his boots. But the subject has not been discussed again since he was discharged, precisely so as not to pressure him.

THE CONDITION

Vasovagal syncope is a common fainting episode caused by an exaggerated reaction of the vagus nerve to a trigger, such as standing for too long, emotional stress, seeing blood, physical exertion, or feeling hot. This causes a temporary drop in heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in loss of consciousness. Warning symptoms may include weakness, paleness, sweating, dizziness, and nausea.

Usually considered a condition that is easy to treat, doctors generally prescribe lifestyle changes, such as improving hydration, moderating salt intake, avoiding going too long without meals, avoiding emotional triggers, and even wearing compression stockings to help blood circulation. Medication is given only in severe cases.

The concerning side of it, speaking from the professional standpoint for Oscar, is that there is medical advice not to spend too long standing during the recovery period. In other words, to put it plainly, the midfielder would be barred from training or working in his profession for a period after being discharged.

“Obviously I don’t know the case in depth, but looking from afar, given Oscar’s profession, the recommendation is prolonged rest combined with short periods of physical activity in the first few months. But more detailed tests would be needed to know whether circulation is affected,” cardiologist Ricardo Neves, a professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and a member of the South Mato Grosso Academy of Medicine, explained to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR.

In the medical bulletin released by the Morumbi club, it is stated that Oscar will undergo an electrophysiological study. Neves explains that the result will be decisive in determining whether or not the player will be able to return to physical activities in a short period of time.

“This is not associated with whether or not he will continue his career, but rather with a short-term return to training and matches. It’s important to make that clear,” Neves added.

According to the cardiologist, it is a circulatory problem that does not directly interfere with anything in the heart. “It does not mean the person has heart failure or another heart problem that would prevent them from living their life normally,” he said.

PLAYER REASSURES FANS

Attacking midfielder Oscar spoke publicly for the first time after being hospitalized on Tuesday (11) for suffering a complication with cardiological changes during São Paulo’s physical tests at CT da Barra Funda.

Through his social media, the No. 8 sought to reassure fans and supporters, who were distressed by the news.

“Thank you very much for the messages and prayers. Everything will be fine, God willing,” he wrote.

Since news of his hospitalization came to light, Oscar has received many messages of support from São Paulo fans and even supporters of other clubs. Fans of Internacional, another club he played for in Brazil, even posted videos praying for the player’s recovery.

Reassured by the board, which visited Oscar during Tuesday, São Paulo players were expected to go to the hospital that afternoon to visit their teammate. According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR learned, Oscar even made a video call with all the players, who were extremely worried by what had happened.

LEARN MORE

Hospitalized in a hospital in the city of São Paulo after suffering a complication with cardiological changes, midfielder Oscar is expected to terminate his contract with São Paulo after receiving medical clearance and officially announcing his retirement.

The information was confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by three sources: one from the top level of São Paulo’s football department and two linked to the 34-year-old player, who has not taken the field since the win over Corinthians in the Brazilian Championship on July 19.

According to what AMT learned, it was precisely after that match that the No. 8 underwent evaluation exams for a fracture in three lumbar vertebrae, which pointed to heart-related issues. At that time, at Oscar’s own request, the case was not made public, becoming information disclosed off the record by doctors and spread only by São Paulo influencer pages.

Meanwhile, Oscar continued a routine of monitoring exams that indicated improvement in his clinical condition and allowed him to be cleared to take part in activities with the squad. But the No. 8 ended up getting injured again, suffering a muscle injury in his left calf.

Oscar then consulted Hernán Crespo’s staff to understand the next steps. He was advised to understand his case first before making a decision. Shaken by criticism from the fans, questions about his high salary, and reassured by the tests indicating improvement in his clinical situation, the No. 8 then gave up on the family’s request that he end his career.

This morning, however, Oscar fainted during physical tests and left CT da Barra Funda by ambulance. The incident shocked everyone present, from players to staff.

The No. 8 remains hospitalized awaiting test results that will allow doctors to determine the origin of the heart-related issue. But his condition is stable.

As per usual procedure and respecting the player’s privacy, new information will be released as soon as there is an update from the medical team, in agreement with Oscar.

THE NO. 8’S BAD LUCK AND THE DIFFICULTY OF REGAINING IDOL STATUS

As AMT revealed three weeks ago, the internal mood at São Paulo was already pessimistic about attacking midfielder Oscar’s availability for the team in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship, in which the team is fighting for a place in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.

Even before the new injury, there was already internal caution at the Morumbi club regarding the player. Oscar has not played for Tricolor since the win over Corinthians at Morumbi on July 19 in the Brazilian Championship. On that occasion, the midfielder suffered a fracture in three lumbar vertebrae and missed 16 matches while recovering.

In the last two matches, the No. 8 was included in coach Hernán Crespo’s squad list, but ended up not taking the field, still feeling the effects of not being in better physical condition. It is yet another chapter in the attacking midfielder’s history of disappointment in his return to São Paulo after 15 years.

In practical and absolute numbers, Oscar suffered his fifth injury since the start of the year. He thus matches the total number of injuries he had during the 12 years he spent outside Brazil, between 2012 and 2024, with Chelsea in England and Shanghai Port in China.

Adding the four injuries before this one, the No. 8 spent 175 days recovering, available for 30 of the 57 matches played by the club this season. He made 23 appearances, 19 of them as a starter and only nine over the full 90 minutes. In total, he logged 1,591 minutes on the field, equivalent to 31% of the team’s total minutes played.

It is such a low rate that any debate about the exact amount of his salary becomes irrelevant: it doesn’t matter whether it is closer to one million reais or three million, the cost-benefit is poor in any scenario, unless perhaps the contract were for a player newly promoted from the youth academy.

And that has sparked internal debate at Morumbi. According to what AMT learned, there are quite a few people close to president Julio Casares who support trying to reach an amicable termination with the player for next year, easing the wage bill. The subject, however, is being avoided for now by the football board.

In a press conference, Casares said he believes Oscar’s signing, under the terms on which it was made, was carried out responsibly. São Paulo shares responsibility for paying the player’s wages with Superbet, the club’s main sponsor.

“I believe Oscar, like other players, was a responsible signing. When Oscar chose São Paulo, he was being pursued by two other major clubs in Brazil. The fact that he got injured is part of the sporting landscape, in which other players also have this kind of setback. We hope he will be in our squad recovering and that he can bring us joy in line with the purpose for which he was signed,” he said.

“He was signed with a partnership in which a little less than half was contributed by the sponsor. All of this gives us certainty that the renewal with Superbet also helped make Oscar’s arrival possible. I believe Oscar’s arrival was highly responsible, as all signings have been responsible. Obviously, some do not work out immediately. The less obvious ones come good over time, as in the case of Marcos Antonio. Signings have a subjective side. The passage of time then answers the question of what was right and what was wrong, which sometimes depends on other factors,” the president continued.

Oscar became the portrait of exactly what São Paulo swore it would avoid: high investment and low return from names that symbolize the past. The recent track record of players who returned from China already pointed to the risk: Alexandre Pato, Éder Citadini, Hernanes, and Miranda all had spells with performances well below expectations — and of those, only Pato escaped frequent injuries.

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