Palmeiras maintains focus on Nino even after negotiating for Barboza

Palmeiras made progress in the last few hours to sign defender Alexander Barboza, currently at Botafogo, but the move does not change the search for Nino. The Alviverde board maintains the former Fluminense player as the main target to reinforce the defensive system in the mid-year transfer window. Anderson Barros, football director, confirmed that planning for the sector continues to focus on athletes with the ability to make an immediate impact in the Abel Ferreira squad.

The Palmeiras leadership’s strategy for 2026 prioritizes specific signings of players who already know the dynamics of Brazilian football. At the beginning of this season, the club adopted a more conservative stance in the market after the profound reformulation carried out in 2025. Defender Nino, who currently defends Zenit, from Rússia, meets all the technical and leadership requirements evaluated by the technical committee. Mesmo With the agreement made with Barboza, the club understands that the arrival of another big name is necessary to maintain competitiveness in international competitions.

Negociações with Zenit and Nino’s base salary

Palmeiras’s interest in Nino is not recent and dates back to the last transfer window, when the São Paulo club reached a verbal agreement on the salary bases with the defender. Naquela On this occasion, Zenit blocked the Brazilian from leaving because of the Russian league calendar, which was in its decisive phase. The situation changes for the month of July, when the end of the European season facilitates the release of athletes for the South American market.

• Acordo salary with Nino is already defined between the club and the player’s staff
• Zenit signals greater flexibility to trade in July window
• Athlete’s Perfil pleases with experience in Libertadores’s achievements
• Busca by replacement anticipates possible departures of young talents from the base
• 2026 Planejamento focuses on names ready for the starting team

Director Anderson Barros highlighted that Nino is a player defined by the performance analysis department as the ideal piece. Ele highlighted that the operation is complex due to the contractual control exercised by the Russian club, but reinforced confidence in the bet made by Alviverde. The arrival of Alexander Barboza would be a complement to the sector, and not a replacement for the place that the club reserves for the captain of Fluminense’s continental title in 2023.

Opções current defenses and 2026 reinforcements

Atualmente, Abel Ferreira uses Gustavo Gómez and Murilo as the pillars of the starting defense, but the marathon of games requires qualified options on the bench. Além of the starters, the group has Bruno Fuchs and the young Benedetti, who has aroused the interest of European teams and may soon receive official proposals. Koné is another name observed by the committee, although the board prefers to keep him in the under-20s to gain experience before definitive integration into the professional ranks.

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Movement in the ball market has already yielded two official names for Palmeiras this season. Midfielder Marlon Freitas, who also belonged to Botafogo, and striker Jhon Arias, formerly of Wolverhampton, are already training with the squad. The search for a high-level defender closes the cycle of priority signings for the first half of the year. The club understands that defensive solidity was the difference in past titles and does not want to take risks with a short squad.

Perfil hiring and coaching staff requirements

Palmeiras’s hiring philosophy for this year abandoned the model of betting on young people for future resale in the foreign market. Abel Ferreira asked for players who did not need time to adapt, focusing on names that had already had memorable spells with Série A of Brasileiro. Barboza and Nino fit this “ready to play” vision, offering physical imposition and good ball release.

Essa’s stance reflects the need for quick responses on the field, especially as the knockout stages of continental tournaments approach. The football department believes that Nino’s international experience, combined with Barboza’s physical strength, would give Palmeiras the best defense in the country. Negotiations are expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with the aim of formalizing the links before the official opening of athlete registration.