When the summer window closed, we examined 10 possible South American targets for the winter window. Much has changed in the past four months, though, and there are some fresh names emerging with the potential for a January move.
After a successful few months with Botafogo, playmaker Thiago Almada has indeed moved on to Europe, joining Lyon in France. His recent club teammate Luiz Henrique could be on the move, too, as the winger had a wonderful year after moving back to Brazil from Real Betis in Spain.
However, there are two issues. One, is that he is under investigation for alleged involvement in a betting scandal, and the other is that Botafogo are involved in the FIFA Club World Cup in the middle of 2025.
This tournament is clearly affecting the transfer market. It was a condition of the transfer of Estêvão to Chelsea that Palmeiras could keep him for the Club World Cup — and they seem to feel the same way about centre-back Vitor Reis.
It is possible that the tournament could speed the move across the Atlantic of Colombian midfielder Richard RÃos, who continues to receive interest from numerous Premier League clubs. River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono will also be in action in the Club World Cup — he turns 18 in August — and may well be moving in the summer.
At the other end of the age scale for potential exports is Jhon Arias. The Colombian winger/midfielder is now 27 and was frustrated that Fluminense did not allow him to join Atlético Madrid in the summer. He will look to sort out his future.
Here are some other transfer targets that have emerged in the past few months.
One of the big stories of the year, and a perfect illustration of how Botafogo’s recent success is not only the consequence of club owner John Textor’s money, but also of an excellent scouting department.
Jesus started his professional career for Coritiba in the south of Brazil, featuring mainly in the second division. There, he played 10 games without a single goal in the top flight. Even so, Botafogo had him on their radar and followed him as he picked up momentum with the Dubai club Shabab Al Ahli.
He could have played for the United Arab Emirates, but the dream of representing Brazil had not disappeared. Botafogo waited for his contract to run down and then brought him home on a free transfer. He debuted for them, a virtual unknown, in late July. And by October, he was Brazil’s first-choice centre-forward. Textor describes him as “the perfect striker.” He is quick and mobile enough to chase the long ball into the channels or behind the opposing defense.
Jesus is strong enough to hold up the ball with his back to goal. He is sufficiently skillful and clever to feature in the build-up play. He can score in the air and off either foot. And as the gruelling last few weeks of the season showed, he can put in a defensive shift. In the final of the Copa Libertadores, after Botafogo had a man sent off in the first minute, Jesus chased, blocked, marked and did everything in his power to make life easier for his team. The goals dried up towards the end of the year, but that didn’t make his contributions any less important.
So what happens now: cash in quickly or keep him for the Club World Cup? West Ham United appear to be very interested in a deal in this current window given their needs for quality up front.
Ordóñez was the beating heart of the surprise success story of 2024 in Argentina. Vélez were involved in everything: beaten on penalties in the final of the first league tournament of the year, winners of the second league tournament, and runners-up in the domestic cup. If coach Gustavo Quinteros could have his time again, he probably would not have substituted Ordóñez at half-time in that cup final.
His team lost its structure without the young midfielder who combines lung power with solid footballing sense. He has flashes of talent, but is wise enough to keep things simple and maintain the team ticking over in possession while working aggressively to win the ball once the move breaks down. He nearly moved to Turkey in the summer, but should now have his sights set even higher.
Ecuador national team coach Sebastian Beccacece called up a few extra players to give sparring practice against his senior team — and one of them impressed so much that he was thrown straight into action in World Cup qualification.
Independiente del Valle have an outstanding recent record of youth production. Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo is one of theirs, and soon he will be joined at Stamford Bridge by wonderkid Kendry Páez. This year’s sensation, Arroyo, is a teenage winger.
Left-footed by trade, Arroyo has mostly been used on the right. Strong with a change of pace and a few tricks, he’s already attracting interest from European clubs.
The contemporary transfer market can work at dazzling speed. León made his professional debut in August. By October, he was already being linked with big Premier League sides. Arsenal were reported to be the first to show interest, but now it seems that Manchester United have taken it further — although they will have to wait until the summer window because the Paraguayan only turns 18 in April.
The promise is obvious — and we can chalk up a spectacular long-range own goal against Sportivo Luqueño to experience. León is a strapping figure who can defend and provide width in the final third.
A well-balanced, poised central midfielder, naturally left-footed but capable of passing quickly off either foot, turns well in tight spaces. These are all virtues that make Bidon attractive to plenty of European clubs.
A youth star who made a successful transition to the senior side in 2024, his late-season form — operating on the left of the midfield diamond — was a factor in Corinthians shaking off relegation worries and charging up the table. However, they spent big to ensure their safety — a quick way to help balance the books would be to transfer on this highly interesting midfield talent.
Decision time is fast approaching for this winger who made his first-team debut for River Plate back in 2021 when he was only just past his 16th birthday.
Lavega broke out in 2024, when he looked every inch a winger in the old Uruguayan tradition — stocky, with a low centre of gravity, adept at drawing the foul and with the two-footed skill and footballing intelligence to beat the defender and attack the space on either side.
Plenty of Brazilian clubs are interested, with Vasco da Gama leading the charge. Should he take that route, or hold out for Europe?
Left-back, Paraguayan-born but brought up in Argentina, Soler represented the country at the Paris Olympics and has already been called up to Lionel Scaloni’s senior squad.
He is full of pace with trickery to beat his marker in reduced space and attack the byline. His speed is also a defensive asset, though there are aspects of his defensive game that still need improving. At the time of writing, his performances has earned him a move to the Premier League, signing officially for Bournemouth. Definitely one of the names to look out for in January and February during the South American Under-20 Championship.
In recent years, Brazil has become a major producer of goalkeepers, and one club — Athletico Paranaense — have proved especially proficient. But in 2024, the club’s centenary year, they were not proficient at all in many other areas. And so in Mycael’s debut season as first choice, they suffered a humiliating relegation — which could mean that they have to part company with their latest product earlier than they might have liked.
Mycael is already being followed by a number of major Premier League clubs. He was considered one of the few successes of Brazil’s Under-20 team in the 2023 U-20 World Cup, and he caught the eye at that level in that year’s World Cup.
Despite the club’s collapse and relegation, Mycael had a sound season, stepping in well to substitute Bento, who left Paranaense shortly after shutting out England at Wembley back in March.
A trend strong in the previous window was that of Saudi Arabian clubs looking for young up-and-coming South Americans.
One such deal — worth a reported $25 million — could be the signing of attacking midfielder Carvalho by Al Qadsiah. Should the deal go through, then the player will stay in Brazil for the next few months before departing to Saudi Arabia.
Carvalho only turns 18 in August and Inter fans will be sorry to lose him. There is a rare talent in his capacity to dip a shoulder, beat his man, and find a pass. After making his debut in 2024, the coming year will surely be a time of consolidation — in Brazil or abroad.
A right wing-back full of attacking thrust who joined Racing from Liverpool in his native Uruguay in 2023, and played a key role in the Argentine club’s conquest of the Copa Sudamericana, bursting forward to score some impressive goals.
On their way to the title, Racing beat three Brazilian opponents in a row. So, it was hardly surprising that plenty of clubs from that country were showing an interest.
But an offer from Krasnodar of Russia might be hard to match for the player who turned 25 on Jan 5.
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