São Paulo and Dorival seek a defensive leader: four South American names | OneFootball

By contributor Pimenta

Coach Dorival Júnior, amid negotiations for his return to São Paulo, laid down some conditions, including the signing of reinforcements for the club from Morumbi.

One of the weakest areas of the squad is the defense, which used to be one of the sectors with the most players but has now been deteriorating throughout the season. One of the leaders of the back line was Arboleda, who after an outburst disappeared for 30 days and became unavailable to São Paulo.

Dória, who had been earning more space, made catastrophic mistakes in the chances he got, and the fans went too far, leading him to ask to leave. Meanwhile, the experienced Rafael Tolói had been used frequently, but his advanced age has meant he cannot handle the insane South American schedule and he has been dealing with constant injuries at the club.

With so many absences, São Paulo promoted one of its academy standouts, the youngster Osorio. Left-footed and skillful, the young player has improved a lot in recent years and has already been used on a few occasions in the first team. The same should happen with the jewel and already sought-after Isaac, who could join the squad for the next matches before the World Cup break. In fact, Isaac is one of the most promising players in the position after Beraldo.

But with few options, São Paulo is going after another defender. According to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, Dorival wants an experienced center back with the reputation of a “sheriff” to join Sabino, Alan Franco and Tolói in Tricolor’s defensive line.

We’ve brought four options on the market whose cost fits São Paulo’s current budget and who match the profile so desired by the Tricolor coach. Check them out:

Guillermo Maripán – Chilean, 32 years old The experienced Maripán is a very physical center back who dominates in the air. His main traits are physical presence, strength in challenges, and good defensive reading inside the box. He is usually strong on both attacking and defensive set pieces. At Torino, his current club, he has become a more mature and tactically disciplined defender.

Downside: Because of his physical style and height (1.93 m), Maripán struggles against quick attackers.

Paulo Díaz – Chilean, 31 years old A long-time Tricolor dream, he is a more technical center back, aggressive when stepping in front, and very comfortable playing out from the back. He has good short-distance speed, mobility, and usually performs well in a high line. At Argentina’s River Plate, he stood out precisely for his ability to defend far from the box and start build-up play.

Downside: He sometimes overdoes the intensity and can make mistakes through overconfidence or impulsiveness.

Nicolás Hernández – Colombian, 28 years old He is another classic South American type: plenty of grit, strong marking, and physical intensity. He is an aggressive defender in one-on-one duels, usually presses attackers hard, and plays with a lot of emotional commitment. Technically he is simpler when playing out from the back, but he makes up for it with positioning and competitiveness. His strongest point is usually direct defending. He has already played for Athletico-PR, and today he plays for América de Cali of Colombia.

Downside: Decision-making under pressure.

Federico Gattoni – Argentine, 27 years old Finally, Gattoni is an Argentine center back with a modern style, combining physical presence with good technique. At San Lorenzo, he drew attention for his leadership, personality, and clean distribution, even becoming one of the club’s youngest captains. He reads interceptions well and is strong in one-on-one situations.

Downside: Adaptation. Gattoni had a lot of difficulty in European football (Sevilla in Spain, his current club), but he still has above-average potential.

Obviously, these are players with an international market, but if São Paulo can present an interesting project, the defenders may look favorably on playing for Tricolor, in addition to being close to their home countries. The key is for São Paulo to make as few mistakes as possible in its choices, since money is tight and the pressure is high.

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