Santos protect academy, speed up renewals to avoid losses | OneFootball

Santos has changed its approach in the transfer market and has started adopting an aggressive pace to extend the contracts of its top youth academy prospects, according to ge.

The board's objective is clear: to prevent the "Meninos da Vila" from earning space and visibility in the first team only to then leave for free or for lower-than-expected fees to clubs abroad.

Over the last year, the Santos board secured contract extensions for at least 13 youth players.

The coaching staff and football management have been carrying out individualized monitoring with each young player, designing specific career plans to maximize each one’s performance.

The Latest Players Protected

The most recent wave of renewals involved players who had been gaining prominence under coach Cuca before the break for the FIFA World Cup:

Miguelito: The Bolivian midfielder had his contract extended until May 2029. Under Cuca, he was moved into a central playmaking role and responded with one goal and two assists in the last four matches.

Gabriel Bontempo, Samuel Pierri and Gustavo Henrique: The trio had been used frequently by the coach, with Gustavo Henrique and Bontempo standing out after finishing the semester as starters.

Robinho Jr.: The forward also renewed his deal and has been going through a tactical adaptation process similar to Miguelito’s, being tested by Cuca as a playmaker.

Long-Term Contracts Secured

In addition to the names above, Santos guaranteed the stay of a youth core with deals running at least until 2028. The list includes:

Goalkeeper: João Pedro

Center-backs: João Ananias and João Alencar

Left-backs: Rafael Gonzaga and Vinícius Lira

Midfielder: Pepê Fermino

Forwards: Mateus Xavier, Davizinho and David Nogueira

On the other hand, some names from the under-20 squad are still waiting for talks to begin over renewals, such as midfielder Vinícius Fabri, defensive midfielder Nicola Profeta, center-back Marcelo Contreras and forward Fernando Pradella (who recently made his professional debut against Chapecoense).

The Past Traumas That Set Off the Alarm

Santos’s urgency in signing new contracts is justified by bitter sagas experienced this decade:

Kaio Jorge (2021): The club took too long to act, the striker ended up signing a pre-contract with Juventus, and Santos had to accept an immediate sale for only 3 million euros so as not to lose him for free.

Marcos Leonardo (2022): A long and exhausting saga meant that the renewal agreement was only completed five months before the center-forward became free to sign with another club at no cost.

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

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