Bahia ends the year with a consolidated defense duo, but there is a challenge in the sector for 2025

With the end of the season, Bahia is looking forward to next year’s competitions. Before the players return to action, the board is working on finding reinforcements and, certainly, the reformulation of the squad will directly involve pieces for the defense.

The tricolor closed 2024 with the defense duo formed and Kanu and Gabriel Xavier consolidated as starters. The two started to play together during the Brasileirão and continued in the tournament. However, with the departure of the experienced Víctor Cuesta, who did not have his contract renewed, the Squadron has only four options for the sector at the moment, two of which had few chances throughout the year and are not safe.

In addition to Gabriel Xavier and Kanu, David Duarte and Vitor Hugo are the players who have a contract with the Bahian team for next year. Among the last two, David was the one who accumulated the most minutes with the tricolor shirt. Even so, it was far from being one of Rogério Ceni’s first options. He participated in just 13 games between the Campeonato Baiano, Copa do Nordeste, Copa do Brasil and Brasileirão.

David Duarte was used three times in Série A, two of them in the final stretch of the tournament, in the defeats to Juventude and Palmeiras. On that occasion, Rogério Ceni justified the choice due to the height of the defender, who ended up blocking Cuesta.

Vitor Hugo experienced an even more complicated situation at Tricolor. He was loaned to Panathinaikos, in Greece, at the beginning of the year. The defender played ten games there. The agreement provided for the obligation to purchase if the established goals were achieved, which did not happen.

The defender returned to Bahia during the second transfer window and, despite being integrated into the main squad, he was used by Rogério Ceni only once, in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Internacional, at Fonte Nova.

Bahia has not yet announced any signings, nor has it spoken openly about football planning for 2025, but the club must look for at least one more defender to replace the departure of Víctor Cuesta.

Given the scenario in which they have few reliable options for the defense, Bahia can analyze possibilities within the squad itself. One of them is to reinstate defender Marcos Victor, 22 years old, who was on loan at Athletico-PR.

Marcos Victor swapped the tricolor for the team from Paraná during the Brasileirão in search of more opportunities. The loan would run until May 2025, but was shortened after Athletico-PR’s relegation to Series B. The defender was little used in the red-black campaign and played just three minutes during the defeat to São Paulo. His future will be defined by the Tricolor board.

Another one who can be used more in defense is midfielder Rezende. During the season, he played the role of defender on the left side. The number 5 has a lot of prestige with Rogério Ceni and was named by the coach as one of the most important players on the team.

The kids at the base will also be watched and could get a chance at the top team, especially in the Campeonato Baiano, as the club will use the under-20s in the first three games of the state. The debut will be on January 12th, against Jacuipense, at the Joia da Princesa stadium.