The name of midfielder Zé Rafael, currently a reserve at Palmeiras, was linked to Cruzeiro. However, for now there is no concrete situation that indicates a departure from Verdão.
According to Itatiaia’s investigation, Zé Rafael received a survey from Cruzeiro at the beginning of Series A of the Brazilian Championship, but this approach did not turn into a proposal.
At this time, there is also no official offer, nor even ongoing negotiations.
Zé Rafael is not dissatisfied with the current situation at Palmeiras and, to evaluate a way out, the proposal needs to be advantageous for him and the club.
A childhood native of Palmeiras, he has defended Alviverde since 2018. Zé Rafael was even honored for 300 games with the shirt, receiving a plaque from the hands of Ademir da Guia.
Inside the club, the talk is that the 31-year-old midfielder is under contract — valid until December 2026 — and the coaching staff is counting on him. There would have been no change in outlook.
Publicly, vice-president Paulo Buosi confirmed this situation when commenting on the cases of Zé Rafael and Rony, another involved in transfer speculation to Cruzeiro.
“There are no negotiations between Rony and Zé Rafael. They were very important for us on this title journey. They will be important at the end of the championship. They have a long contract with us and are Palmeiras players”, he said, during the , last Tuesday (12).
Zé Rafael loses space at Palmeiras
Fundamental in Palmeiras’ victorious years, Zé Rafael suffered from injuries in 2024 and lost his run in the starting lineup. He also needed to readapt to the role of second midfielder with the arrival of Aníbal Moreno, who took over the “5 shirt”.
This season, there are 36 games, four assists and no goals. The midfielder has 11 titles with Verdão.
