How the political rift affects Vasco's search for new signings | OneFootball

The developments in the political crisis at Vasco da Gama have brought direct changes to the routine of recruiting new players for the professional squad. The removal of elected president Pedrinho and the other members of the Vasco SAF Board of Directors changed the club’s internal decision-making process, but did not halt the search for players. As established in the court order signed by judge Caroline Rossy Brandão Fonseca, the injunction does not prevent ongoing negotiations or future signings.

The main practical change is centered on the approval flow for sporting investments, which no longer goes through the board led by the former player and is now subject to the assessment of court-appointed administrator Samantha Mendes Longo. Executive director Admar Lopes and CEO Fred Luz have already met with the lawyer to outline the urgent technical needs and the need to strengthen the squad in order to pull the team out of the Brasileirão relegation zone. However, there is an internal understanding that the club has taken a few steps backward in negotiations due to the instability and delays caused by the split battle in the courts.

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Negotiations for Deossa and contract values

The immediate financial issue involves talks for Colombian defensive midfielder Nelson Deossa, who belongs to Real Betis of Spain. Vasco remains in advanced talks and has structured an offer based on a loan deal with a fixed purchase option, which could become a mandatory permanent transfer if performance targets are met in Rio de Janeiro. The figures involved are around 8 million euros (about R$ 49.6 million), but contractual triggers and bonuses included in the deal could raise the transfer to somewhere between 10 and 11 million euros (between R$ 62 million and R$ 68.2 million).

The completion of the deal for the midfielder now depends on the structuring of the cash flow, which has been under discussion with the court-appointed overseer, who officially signed the process commitment term last Wednesday. At the same time as the market talks continue, the legal department of the members’ club is finishing preparations to file an interlocutory appeal in the higher courts in the coming days, in an attempt to overturn the injunction and definitively reverse the intervention in the football company.

Talks for Deossa are at risk of falling apart – Photo: Reprodução/X

Judicial grounds and Vasco’s budget limits

Spending on player signings was formally cited as part of the grounds underpinning the decision to remove the elected board. Judge Caroline Fonseca highlighted reports issued by the Fiscal Council pointing to a lack of transparency and detailed information about movements in the sporting department, including signing bonuses, commissions, and salaries. The body expressed serious concern over the roughly R$ 100 million spent on reinforcements in the first half of the year, demanding explanations as to whether such costs would be compatible with the company’s Judicial Recovery plan.

Despite the bureaucratic questions, the Judiciary acknowledged in the record that investment in players is a legitimate and discretionary management tool to ensure the team’s technical strengthening on the pitch. Due to the high amount injected in the first half of the year, the board was already originally working with a limited budget for this second transfer window.

To make additional arrivals possible beyond Deossa, Vasco’s board is considering resorting to a new DIP loan request, a specific financial mechanism designed to provide cash flow relief to companies undergoing restructuring.

Admar Lopes and Pedrinho seek the best opportunities to strengthen the squad – Photo: CBF

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