Offered, Congolese veteran appeals but São Paulo turn him down | OneFootball

Even while looking for signings to strengthen the squad in the second half of the season, São Paulo decided not to continue talks to sign Congolese striker Cédric Bakambu. This came after his name had internally appealed to part of the club’s board.

The 35-year-old player’s name was offered to the board, but he was ruled out internally for not fitting the profile planned by the coaching staff for the attacking sector.

The information was first reported by ESPN and confirmed to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR by sources from São Paulo’s top management.

Available on the market after ending his contract with Spain’s Betis, the Congolese striker — who recently featured for his national team at the World Cup — also held talks with Internacional in recent weeks, but the club from Rio Grande do Sul also pulled out of the deal.

For the Spanish side, where he played over the last three seasons in European football, Bakambu made 80 appearances, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists.

With the rejection, Tricolor’s football leadership remains focused on its priorities in the transfer window, concentrating efforts on negotiations to secure the arrival of midfielder Gustavo Scarpa from Atlético-MG.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The recent speculation involving internationally renowned names behind the scenes at Morumbi, such as English striker Jamie Vardy and Bakambu, follows a clear directive from São Paulo’s football department. It is a move led by the club’s football executive, Rafinha, who is seeking the signing of a “major” reinforcement with the status and authority to lead the squad in the second half of the season.

The search for a battle-hardened, high-profile player on the world football stage has stirred the transfer market in recent weeks. Aware of the priority set by the São Paulo official, intermediaries and agents began offering several high-performing foreign players with significant experience in Europe.

Despite the executive’s active approach in mapping out opportunities of this kind, the board is being cautious in its financial assessments.

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