Santos in talks to terminate Gil's contract | OneFootball

Santos is negotiating the termination of Gil's contract. The defender's contract runs until the end of the year.

The experienced defender has no place in the current Peixe squad. Not surprisingly, he has played only twice in the last three months. The 38-year-old player started in the victories over Juventude and Cruzeiro.

The information was initially reported by journalist Gabriela Brino and confirmed by Gazeta Esportiva.

Gil arrived at Santos at the beginning of 2024 and was a key player throughout the Série B of the Brazilian Championship. This year, however, he has barely taken the field. In total, he has made 66 appearances for the Alvinegro team and scored one goal.

With the dismissal of Cleber Xavier and the hiring of Vojvoda, Peixe is preparing a squad overhaul. The club is trying to recover after a 6-0 thrashing by Vasco last Sunday at Morumbis.

The Alvinegro Praiano is in 15th place in the Brasileirão, with 21 points, two more than Vitória, the first team inside the relegation zone. The next challenge will be against Bahia, this Sunday, at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), away from home, for the 21st round.

A Year of Ups and Downs

Gil considered retiring at the end of 2024. The idea of hanging up his boots at the end of Série B was discussed throughout last year. The 37-year-old athlete, however, finished the season on a high and happy with the title. In this context, he agreed to renew his contract until the end of 2025.

The change in Santos' coaching staff, however, altered Gil's situation at the club. The number 4 was left out of coach Pedro Caixinha's plans, who believed the defender would not fit his style of play. He was not even listed for the first four games of the team in 2025.

At the start of the Campeonato Paulista, however, Santos struggled a lot in defense. As a result, Caixinha, under pressure from the fans, decided to give Gil a chance, and he played his first match of the year in the seventh round of the State Championship. Afterwards, the experienced defender delivered good performances and secured a spot in the starting lineup.

Thus, Gil went on to complete a streak of 12 games as a starter for Santos. With the arrival of Cléber Xavier, however, Gil lost his place again and played only two matches in the last three months.

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