São Paulo lose a gem as Matheus Alves heads to Europe | OneFootball

Matheus Alves is set to become the latest São Paulo academy graduate to leave for Europe, with the 20-year-old midfielder on the verge of signing with CSKA Moscow, according to Arquibancada Tricolor. The deal, agreed in recent hours, will see Alves travel to Russia on Friday to complete his move.

The transfer is valued at €6 million, with São Paulo also securing 25% of the profit from any future sale. Alves had been uninvolved with first-team training after the June international break while awaiting final negotiations, and his departure now appears imminent.

Alves, who joined São Paulo’s youth system at a young age, enjoyed notable success with the club’s junior teams in 2024. He was part of the squads that lifted the Dallas Cup Under-19 and the Copa do Brasil Under-20 titles. He also featured in the 2025 edition of the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior before making his mark in the senior side.

His professional debut for São Paulo came at the start of the 2025 Paulistão, in a goalless draw away to Botafogo-SP where the club fielded a heavily rotated squad. Alves’ first start followed on 8 February, in a 1-0 defeat to RB Bragantino. A series of injuries in the Tricolor first team opened the door for more opportunities in the Brasileiro, and the midfielder’s performances led to a contract renewal on 28 March, tying him down until the end of 2028.

Alves departs São Paulo with 15 first-team appearances in 2025, including nine starts. In 705 minutes of senior action, he registered two assists—against Santos and Alianza Lima—and picked up three yellow cards, but did not score.

The move represents a new challenge for Alves and a significant financial injection for São Paulo. With their tradition of producing exportable talent, São Paulo will now hope to benefit further down the line should CSKA cash in on the midfielder in the future.

(Source: Arquibancada Tricolor)

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