Ian Luccas, Cruzeiro’s jewel, is sold to Portugal in negotiations with Vini Jr’s team
A Brazilian midfielder trained by Cruzeiro, who stood out in Series B of the Brazilian Championship in 2026 and attracted interest from Santos, is leaving for Portugal. Player Ian Luccas will defend Alverca in the Portuguese Championship, as confirmed by Athletic, his team since the beginning of the season, on August 6, 2026.
Why is Ian Luccas considered a promise in football?
The athlete’s trajectory reveals that Ian Luccas, although positioned as a midfielder, demonstrated great versatility and a remarkable eye for goal while playing for Athletic. This club’s owner is Thássilo Soares, known for being Vini Jr’s agent. Vini Jr. himself, a striker for the Brazilian national team and in the process of renewing his contract with Real Madrid, is Alverca’s main investor.
Outstanding Performance and Diverse Skills by Ian Luccas
In 2026, Ian Luccas established himself as one of Athletic’s main talents. He was loaned by Cruzeiro during the Campeonato Mineiro period and, even with the team’s decline in the state tournament, his performance improved significantly with the arrival of coach Alex de Souza.
Ian Luccas’ importance for Athletic can be proven by his impressive numbers. In 27 games, the midfielder scored six goals and provided three assists. Such statistics are remarkable for a midfielder, who also played other offensive roles, such as “shirt 8”, “shirt 10” and even “false 9” in the Minas Gerais team.
Ian Luccas’ improvement is credited to the work of Alex de Souza. The coach, in recent statements, mentioned that his conversations with the player revealed an ability to act not only in marking, but also in more advanced positions, contributing to the creation and completion of plays.
“He has already played as number 5, 8, 10 and even 9. My conversation with him at the beginning was aimed at him taking advantage of the opportunity, as he was perhaps the player with the most proposals in our squad. The intention was for him to apply all his experience, his knowledge, what he did well and what he failed to do, and transfer that to the games. And he has done well”, said the coach.
With the injury of striker Ronaldo Tavares, who will be out for the entire season, coach Alex de Souza looked for alternatives for the attack. Several center forwards in the squad were experimented with in the position, however, without consolidation, which opened the way for new tactical variations.
Most of these adaptations were made possible by the versatility of Ian Luccas. He demonstrated the ability to play in all areas of the midfield, from the most defensive sector to the most advanced area, both centrally and on the left and right sides.
At one point in Series B of the Brazilian Championship, the player was directly involved in seven of the eight consecutive goals scored by the team from Minas Gerais that season.
The most recent goal in that series came in the 1-0 victory over Fortaleza, in São João del Rei, on May 30. Previously, the midfielder had found the back of the net twice in the 3-2 defeat to Internacional, resulting in their elimination from the Copa do Brasil.
Ian Luccas was a key player in the victory against Botafogo-SP, contributing assists to Max and Diogo Batista’s goals. During the draw with Juventude, the number 5 played a game with Max that culminated in a cross for Dixon Vera to score.
Transfer market follows Ian Luccas closely
The excellent performance in Series B sparked interest in the football market. Santos showed interest and monitored the athlete’s situation, while Athletic sought to make the signing permanent.
However, none of these negotiations came to fruition. Ian Luccas remained playing for Athletic in Serie B, awaiting the definition of his future. His farewell to the club occurred in the draw with Ponte Preta, a match in which he scored the goal that equalized the score for the team from Minas Gerais.
The sale was finalized by Cruzeiro, who traded the player to Alverca, from Portugal. The value of the transaction with Alverca was approximately 1 million dollars, equivalent to around R$6 million. The Minas Gerais club maintained 20% of the athlete’s economic rights.
An interesting detail is that Alverca, a club that rose from the second to the first division in Portugal, has striker Vini Jr. as its main investor. The star of the Brazilian national team, currently in negotiations to renew with Real Madrid, is managed by Thássilo Soares, who in turn is the owner of Athletic.
Despite the proximity between Vini Jr and Thássillo Soares, there is, for now, no possibility of Ian Luccas being loaned from Alverca to Athletic to complete his participation in Series B of the Brazilian Championship in 2026.
Points of attention in Ian Luccas’ performance
Although he presents very favorable statistics, Ian Luccas was also highlighted for negative aspects. Despite his skill and not being known as a violent player, he was sent off on two occasions in a short space of time during the competition.
In the third round, he received a straight red card in the first half of the match against América-MG, when his team was winning 1-0 and ended up suffering a draw at the end. In the seventh round, Ian was sent off again against Vila Nova-GO, after elbowing his opponent, in a game that was 0-0 and ended 1-1 in Goiânia.
Professional trajectory and history of the athlete
Born in Ribeirão Preto, the 22-year-old midfielder had his training at Ferroviária, where he played from 2019 to 2022 and reached the main squad. In 2024, he was loaned to Cruzeiro, participating in one game in the Copa do Brasil and five in the Campeonato Mineiro, being subsequently acquired by the Minas Gerais club in July last year.
In Cruzeiro’s youth category, Ian Luccas played 43 matches between 2022 and 2023, registering two goals and one assist for the under-20 team.
He was later loaned to Goiás and then returned to Ferroviária, also on loan, accumulating 33 games, two goals and two assists. At Athletic, the midfielder played 27 matches, scoring six goals and contributing three assists.
Athletic, a club from Minas Gerais, participates in Series B of the Brazilian Championship for the second consecutive year, this being its second appearance in the history of the competition. After escaping relegation the previous year, the team maintains a stable campaign in 2026, currently in 11th position, with 28 points, being five points away from the G-6 and eight points away from the relegation zone.
