Palmeiras drops pursuit of defender Nino from Zenit

Palmeiras officially ended talks to sign Russian club Zenit’s centre‑back Nino. The club had been negotiating a deal worth around R$ 40 million, but Zenit required the transfer to wait until after the Russian league title was decided. With the recent acquisition of Argentine defender Alexsander Barboza for roughly R$ 20 million, Palmeiras decided the additional investment was unnecessary and shifted focus to existing defenders.

The aborted deal clears the way for Fluminense, which is now free to negotiate with Nino. Zenit later lodged a higher‑priced counter‑offer and shortened payment terms, but Palmeiras chose not to proceed. Director of football Anderson Barros had previously said, “Nino é um jogador que nós definimos e apostamos sempre na contratação dele. Não é uma contratação simples, até porque existe o clube, que é o controlador da questão contratual.”

Barboza will debut for Palmeiras after the World Cup, while the club continues to renegotiate contracts for players such as Murilo and Gustavo Gómez.