Now it's on: Tapia agrees to leave São Paulo for US club | OneFootball

After a long saga, Chilean forward Gonzalo Tapia is finally on his way out of São Paulo.

The club’s board has agreed to loan the player to Columbus Crew, a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise in the United States, for a period of one year.

The contract signing is scheduled for this Friday (31), sealing the outcome of negotiations led by the club’s football executive, Rafinha. The deal includes a purchase option set at US$1.5 million (approximately R$8.3 million at the current exchange rate).

Behind the Negotiations and the Player’s Desire

Although São Paulo and Columbus Crew had already aligned the terms of the transfer, the completion of the deal depended on the financial agreement between the American franchise and the player’s representatives. Despite receiving inquiries from other teams, Tapia prioritized a move to soccer in the North American country.

The negotiation period required caution from São Paulo’s leadership, which went more than a week without hearing back from the player’s representatives, while still remaining convinced that the player’s interest would prevail and unlock the deal.

Squad Reshaping and Youth Development

Tapia’s departure — signed on a permanent deal just a few months ago from Argentina’s River Plate in a package deal tied to Enzo Díaz’s stay — is part of São Paulo’s squad overhaul plan in the current transfer window.

In addition to easing the wage bill, the coaching staff and club board believe the transfer opens up space for the rise of young Ryan Francisco.

A product of the youth academy in Cotia, the forward is internally regarded as one of the club’s top prospects and will get more playing time with the first team as the season goes on.

Tapia has made 48 appearances and scored eight goals for Tricolor. This season, he has played 27 matches and scored three times.

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