Vancouver Whitecaps extend loan of Caio Alexandre to Fortaleza EC | OneFootball

The Vancouver Whitecaps have agreed to extend the loan of defender Caio Alexandre to Brazilian Serie A side Fortaleza EC through December 2023.

Alexandre originally made the loan move to his native country in August and went on to make 12 appearances for Fortaleza, scoring once and helping the club seal their spot in next season's Copa Libertadores.

This latest deal includes an obligation to purchase, should Alexandre meet certain performance targets.

“Caio expressed his desire to remain with Fortaleza and all parties agreed that this is the right path for him,” Vancouver sporting director Axel Schuster said in a club press release. “We will continue to follow his progress and we wish him all the best in the upcoming season.”

The 23-year-old originally joined the Whitecaps from Botafogo in March 2021 but was held back by a fractured foot suffered in August of that year.

In total, Alexandre managed just 20 appearances for Vancouver across all competitions - including 19 in MLS - registering one assist and picking up a winner's medal in the 2022 Canadian Championship.