Vasco: Marcelo Sant’Ana reveals Luiz Gustavo twist, sparks doubt

In partnership with

Papo na Colina

·8 ottobre 2025

Vasco: Marcelo Sant’Ana reveals Luiz Gustavo twist, sparks doubt

The former football director of Vasco da Gama, Marcelo Sant’Ana, revealed that defender Luiz Gustavo, currently at Bahia, received inquiries from clubs in England and Italy before being traded. The information was given in an interview with the channel Zona Mista Oficial.

“I received inquiries from two clubs — one Italian and one English — about Luiz Gustavo. No official proposal arrived, but there was a search and interest in understanding the player's situation. The Bahia signing even surprised me, because there were European clubs observing him,” Sant’Ana stated. + Former Vasco director reveals European club “top-tier” inquiry for Rayan

Luiz Gustavo, 19, had a brief stint at Vasco and was traded after the arrival of coach Fernando Diniz, who made adjustments to the squad aiming at the restructuring of the defensive sector. The former executive, who left the club after a series of negative results, explained that his role was administrative and supportive, without direct interference in sports decisions.

OneFootball Video

“My job was to take care of the bureaucratic part of football. I didn't define names or athlete profiles. I leave with gratitude, but with the open desire to have shouted 'is champion',” Marcelo said in his farewell on social media.

The sale of Luiz Gustavo to Bahia was confirmed and had significant impacts on the planning of the Rio club. According to a report by ge, the deal helped balance Vasco's cash flow and may contribute to the retention of Rayan, one of the main highlights of the team.

Sources close to the board and the technical committee revealed that the priority in the window was not to sell Rayan, a key piece in Diniz's offensive system. Nevertheless, the coach regretted the departure of Luiz Gustavo, who was seen as a player of great potential and promising future.

“The sale of Luiz Gustavo was because we needed resources to run the club, pay salary. He is not a player I would like to have left. On the contrary. He is a young man with a bright future. We were preparing Luiz to come back stronger. He had six matches with me and received a good offer. Due to cash flow issues, the sale was made,” Diniz explained after the match against Corinthians. + Vasco dominates the high and has the most lethal attack of the Brasileirão, see Photo: Reproduction.

+ Follow Papo na Colina's social networks: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News

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