The hidden reason behind Lucas Ribeiro's departure from the Mamelodi Sundowns camp! | OneFootball

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The hidden reason behind Lucas Ribeiro's departure from the Mamelodi Sundowns camp!

Press reports revealed that distinguished Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro Costa left Mamelodi Sundowns' training camp in Rustenburg last Saturday. Several media outlets followed up on the matter and revealed the main reasons behind the player's sudden departure.

Mamelodi Sundowns are currently at Royal Marang in Rustenburg, preparing for the upcoming 2025-26 season and will face Richards Bay FC at Lucas Moripe Stadium in the MTN8 quarter-final on Sunday evening.

The main reason for the Brazilian's departure from the team's camp

FARPost has verified that Mamelodi Sundowns' attacking midfielder Lucas Ribeiro has formally requested to depart the club's preseason camp, with transfer negotiations now reaching critical stages. The Brazilian playmaker, who joined the South African champions in June 2023, proved instrumental in their record-extending eighth consecutive league title - delivering 25 direct goal involvements (goals + assists) across 51 competitive appearances last term.

This sudden development casts significant doubt over his participation in Sunday's upcoming match. Ribeiro's stellar campaign peaked at the FIFA Club World Cup in America, where his dazzling individual effort against Borussia Dortmund earned him the tournament's Goal of the Tournament accolade.

Transfer interest has emerged from multiple fronts: Qatari outfits, French clubs, and Belgian sides are all monitoring the situation, but Fluminense - his childhood club in Rio de Janeiro - appears particularly determined to secure his services. The Brazilian giants recently bolstered their transfer war chest through the £15 million (R350 million) sale of Colombian forward Jhon Arias, who coincidentally also impressed at the Club World Cup before Fluminense's semifinal elimination by Chelsea.

Sundowns' willingness to release Ribeiro from camp suggests an impending transfer agreement. The Santa Helena-born attacker's career path has seen him develop at Pinheiros before moving to France's Valenciennes as a teenager. His European journey continued with a 2020 transfer to Charleroi, followed by loan spells at RWDM, Mouscron, and Waasland-Beveren in Belgium's professional leagues.