Rodrigo Caio, Sao Paulo’s Brazilian midfielder, has declined the opportunity to play on loan at Atlético Madrid next season and the Brazilian club have backed his decision. Sao Paulo issued a statement in which they revealed the decision that was taken today (Friday) after a meeting. The player, whose protracted €12.5m transfer to Valencia was scrapped at the last minute, was set to move to Atlético on loan and the Calderón club would have had an option to buy. He had already passed his medical.
For Atleti, it was essential that the deal would have taken the form of a loan deal with an option to buy after one season. The doubts about his physical condition and the knee problems that prompted Valencia to pull the plug on their move for him caused the Calderón club to opt for that transfer formula to guarantee that he would be in optimum physical condition.
Another condition which had postponed the signing of the contract was his non-EU status. Caio is waiting to acquire an Italian passport; therefore he would not occupy a foreigner berth at Atlético.
Sao Paulo’s statement read: “In a meeting between the player Rodrigo Caio, the president of Sao Paulo, Carlos Miguel Aidar, and the vice-president Atraide Gil Guerreiro, on Friday afternoon, Rodrigo Caio expressed his desire to not be transferred on loan to European football this season. The club is in agreement with the footballer’s decision.”