What Happened in Brazilian Soccer Yesterday (Thursday, July 3nd 2025)

Atlético‑MG

• Guilherme Arana works with the ball for the first time in injury recovery and advances in his return process to Atlético‑MG.

• Rafael Tolói is linked with Atlético‑MG, but his agent rules out a return to Brazil, while the club continues to seek reinforcements for defense and midfield.

• Fausto Vera declines an offer from River Plate and decides to remain at Atlético‑MG, where he is happy and focused on the rest of the season.

Bahia

• Bahia is negotiating the signing of Argentine center‑forward Tomás Conechny from Deportivo Alavés, already sending an offer, but faces competition from Racing Club.

• David Duarte stated Bahia remains fully focused during the break and emphasized the importance of the decisive match against Fortaleza in the Copa do Nordeste.

• Rodrigo Becão is on the market after limited opportunities under Mourinho at Fenerbahçe, and Bahia is one of the interested clubs.

Botafogo

• With Jair’s departure to Nottingham Forest and Bastos injured, center‑back Kaio Pantaleão assumes a starting role; the club is seeking reinforcements in defense and a new head coach after Renato Paiva’s dismissal.

• Following Igor Jesus’ exit and Paiva’s dismissal, Botafogo begins a mid‑season overhaul, betting on Arthur Cabral as the new center‑forward and awaiting a new coach to lead the transition.

• Matías Segovia returns to Botafogo after a loan spell; with interest from MLS, Europe, and the UAE, his future remains undefined. He regrets missing the Club World Cup with Al‑Ain and may be transferred again.

Ceará

• Right‑back Dieguinho emphasized Ceará's focus on the Copa do Nordeste match against Sport, without neglecting the Brazilian Championship. He reinforced that every game is treated as decisive, and the main goal is to remain in Série A after recent promotion. Currently, Ceará is in 12th place with 15 points from 11 matches.

Corinthians

• 17‑year‑old striker Kauê Furquim, a rising star from Corinthians’ U‑17s, debuted as a starter with the U‑20s in a loss to Internacional, after impressing in the youth setup and training with the first team.

• 16‑year‑old attacking midfielder Lucca Caramico signed his first professional contract with Corinthians, featuring a €50 million (R$320 million) release clause.

• Striker Gui Negão, a standout of the 2007 generation, has been promoted to the professional squad in 2025, already debuting under Dorival Júnior and continuing in the first‑team setup after a strong run in the academy.

Cruzeiro

• Friendly match: Cruzeiro lost 0–1 to Defensa y Justicia at home—highlights available.

• In the friendly against Defensa y Justicia, Leonardo Jardim tested 23 players and saw youngsters like Gamarra, Kauã Dias, and Kaiki Kenji stand out as promising squad options.

• Leonardo Jardim criticized the pause in the Brasileirão, citing a loss of match rhythm at Cruzeiro, and used the friendlies to prepare intensity for when the league resumes against Grêmio.

• Despite the loss, Gabigol was ovated by fans for his playmaking role and strong second‑half performance against Defensa y Justicia.

Flamengo

• Tension at Flamengo: President Bap gets upset over comments about Pedro’s sale, reaffirms support for the striker, and seeks to calm an internal crisis at the club.

• Juninho receives proposals from Saudi Arabia, and Flamengo is evaluating a loan for the striker, who had few opportunities under Filipe Luís.

• Pulgar undergoes foot surgery in Chile after sustaining an injury against Bayern; he will rest for two weeks before returning to Flamengo.

Fluminense

• Fluminense has already secured R$220.6 million in Club World Cup prize money and could exceed R$336 million if they beat Al‑Hilal and reach the semifinals. This campaign includes bonuses for draws, wins, and qualification in earlier phases.

• Fluminense faces Al‑Hilal this Friday, July 4, in the Club World Cup quarterfinals. Midfielder Martinelli emphasized the importance of playing with both lightness and responsibility to represent the club well.

• In a pre-match interview ahead of Al‑Hilal, Renato Gaúcho criticized the devaluation of Brazilian coaches and challenged foreigners to manage clubs in Brazil. He underscored Fluminense’s roster limitations and praised his own work with the squad.

Fortaleza

• Fortaleza continues to seek reinforcements for the season, and if the Lucas Sasha deal with Athletico‑PR goes through, the club will intensify efforts to sign another No. 5, in addition to ongoing interest in Campuzano.

• Following investigations, Fortaleza has shown interest in retaining midfielder Lucas Sasha. The club has made a renewal offer, while Athletico‑PR pursues him. Negotiations between the clubs are ongoing, but no resolution yet. Sasha has been training normally with the squad.

• Fortaleza sold Dylan Borrero for R$7.5 million to a Colombian club, ending his tenure that began without a transfer fee in January.

Grêmio

• Grêmio seeks reinforcements for the next transfer window, faces challenges in signing Adryelson, negotiates exits like Arezo and Pavón, and reintegrates Carballo into the squad.

• Grêmio gains reinforcement with Aravena’s return to training, retains Braithwaite, and prepares for the match against São José.

• Grêmio enters the race for Romarinho, but the striker’s high salary may hinder negotiations.

Internacional

• Under pressure at Internacional, Bruno Henrique still has no defined future and may sign a pre‑contract with another club, while Inter awaits the end of the season to decide on his renewal.

• Recovered from injury, goalkeeper Rochet is expected to resume his starting position at Internacional, despite the good form of young Anthoni this season.

• New reinforcement Alan Benítez is already training with Inter, enjoys the nickname “jailer,” and promises commitment to the fans.

Juventude

• Juventude thrashed Lajeadense 4–0 in a training match, with Gabriel Taliari scoring a hat‑trick. The team prepares to resume the Brasileirão and confirms the departure of striker Vitor Pernambuco.

• Juventude announced the signings of Hudson, Marcelo Hermes, and Rafael Bilu, all already training with the club ahead of the rest of the 2025 season. The team is still seeking to finalize the signings of Gabriel Veron and reinforcements for goalkeeper and attacking midfield positions.

Santos

• Santos registered 40 players in the BID, including 23 from the youth academy such as Neymar, Deivid Washington, and standout Robinho Jr., who has a €50 million release clause.

• Santos closed the first quarter of 2025 with a deficit of R$37.4 million (approximately €6.3 million) and still owes €2.5 million to Arouca for the signing of João Basso.

São Paulo

• Matheus Alves leaves São Paulo and is heading to Russia after agreeing a transfer to CSKA Moscow.

• Damián Bobadilla, São Paulo midfielder, was fined R$83.4 thousand by CONMEBOL for xenophobic remarks made against an opponent.

• Alan Franco has expressed his desire to stay at São Paulo and is close to renewing until 2027, amid uncertainty over his future and Ruan Tressoldi’s exit.

Sport Recife

• Five Sport players—Lucas Cunha, Antônio Carlos, Dalbert, Du Queiroz, and Titi Ortiz—are out of coach Daniel Paulista’s plans for the rest of the season.

• Sport tried to sign center‑forward Rodrigo Rodrigues from Espérance‑TUN, but the player declined the move and refused to enter negotiations.

• With 9 departures and only 3 signings (none available to face Ceará), Sport will have just 20 players available and will likely rely on youth, promoting 5 to 7 academy players to complete the squad.

Vasco

• Henrique Gutterres was dismissed from his role as executive marketing and commercial director at Vasco after an unpopular post with fans, which contained spelling mistakes, an incorrect crest, and the wrong club name.

• Richarlison wishes to play for Vasco, a club he supports, but the deal is unviable due to Tottenham’s €20 million asking price and Vasco’s severe financial crisis. Foreign clubs like Galatasaray and those from the Middle East are more likely destinations.

• Stade Rennes has agreed to loan Andrés Gómez to Vasco for €1 million for one year, with a €4 million purchase option. Vasco continues negotiations and is looking for two more wingers to reinforce the squad.

Vitória

• Vitória announced the permanent signing of 31‑year‑old Uruguayan striker Renzo López on a contract until 2026; he becomes their third reinforcement for the second half of the season.

• In the second 2025 transfer window, Vitória signed three players (a goalkeeper, a midfielder, and a striker) and saw eight departures: one goalkeeper, one full‑back, one defensive midfielder, two midfielders, and three forwards.