São Paulo backtracks (again) and loans Paulinho to a state club (again) | OneFootball

São Paulo backed down and revised the terms of the deal involving 21-year-old forward Paulinho and Botafogo-SP.

After initially agreeing to release the player for free while retaining 40% of his economic rights, the club’s board reversed course following the backlash over the case and decided that the transfer will now take place as a loan until the end of the season.

The two clubs are working out the final bureaucratic details to formalize the temporary move.

According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, the deal includes São Paulo paying part of Paulinho’s wages.

It is important to note that the initial information was that Paulinho would be allowed to leave on loan, but both parties corrected that information over the course of the morning, saying it would instead be a permanent transfer. The report found that São Paulo’s board was unhappy with the criticism received throughout the day, which led to the decision to abandon the deal under the original terms.

Standout in the youth ranks and injury history

Paulinho was one of the main standouts from São Paulo’s youth academy in recent Copa São Paulo de Juniores campaigns.

In the 2025 title-winning run, the player scored two goals in the final against Corinthians after coming on for forward Ryan Francisco. In the 2026 edition, he finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals, playing a key role in the runner-up campaign.

In this year’s tournament final, the player suffered a ligament strain in his left knee and spent a long period recovering under the medical department’s care.

After returning, however, the forward did not receive further opportunities with the first team, making only three professional appearances in 2025 and just one involvement with the senior squad this season.

Squad restructuring

Having surpassed the age limit for the under-20 category, Paulinho was not part of the coaching staff’s plans and had been training at alternate times since the midseason break.

The forward’s transfer is part of a series of moves made by the club to give more playing time to youngsters developed at the Cotia training center. Recently, right-back Moreira was loaned to Al-Nasr of the United Arab Emirates, while defensive midfielder Negrucci joined Athletic-MG on loan.

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