After Avaí deal falls through, São Paulo gives academy gem away to SP club | OneFootball

São Paulo has moved forward with the release of 21-year-old forward Paulinho to Botafogo-SP.

The player is expected in Ribeirão Preto (SP) to undergo medical exams and then sign a valid contract.

Under the agreement reached between the clubs’ boards, Tricolor will retain 40% of the player’s rights, aiming to profit from a future transfer.

Paulinho is 21 years old and was the team’s standout player in this season’s Copinha runner-up campaign. He finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals.

The forward had already shone in the tournament title in 2025, when he replaced top scorer Ryan Francisco in the final and scored two goals against Corinthians.

The forward suffered a ligament strain in his left knee in the final of this year’s youth competition and spent months sidelined. Even after returning, he was never called up for another match with the senior team.

Botafogo-SP play in Brazil’s Série B and are seeking the reinforcement to strengthen the squad for the second half of the national competition.

Planning Adjustment

The transfer fits São Paulo’s football department planning to give the forward more playing time, as he has exceeded the age limit to play in the youth categories.

With no room in the main coaching staff’s plans, the player had been training at alternative times and outside the squad’s match routine. The internal assessment sees the loan move as the ideal alternative for the player to regain his competitive rhythm.

Before the deal with the Ribeirão Preto club was finalized, Paulinho had drawn interest from Avaí, but talks with the Santa Catarina club did not progress to a formal offer.

* Article updated at 11:40 a.m. to correct information.

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