Santos continues to keep an eye on the market and reinforcements for the 2026 season. The team opened negotiations to sign midfielder Felipe Loyola, who belongs to Independiente, from Argentina, and plays for the Chilean national team.
Loyola was already in Santos’ sights in the middle of this year. At the time, however, the conversations did not move forward. Now, São Paulo residents believe in a positive outcome. THE Sporting News provides details about the negotiation.
Felipe Loyola: values
According to the journalist, César Luis Merlo, values reach 6 million dollars (R$ 33 million) for 80% of the economic rights. Payment must be made in installments, if the Argentines accept the proposal.
The Argentine club currently holds 50% of Loyola’s pass, while the rest belongs to other parties linked to the athlete’s career. The conversations are still at an early stage, with no formal proposal filed so far. Independiente wants guarantees that Santos will have the money to pay.
Santos has not yet agreed on any signing for 2026, only purchasing attacking midfielder Álvaro Barreal. The team’s priority is renewing Neymar.
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Felipe Loyola: who is it?
Formed in the youth teams of Colo-Colo, one of the most traditional clubs in Chile, Loyola began his professional career in 2020, when he was loaned to Fernández Vial. There, he helped the club win Chile’s Second Professional Division and gained competitive experience, before establishing himself in professional football once and for all.
The midfielder’s trajectory gained even greater prominence when, in 2023, he went to Huachipato, a Chilean first division team, and was part of the squad that won that year’s Chilean Championship — a title that boosted his reputation on the national scene.
In August 2024, Loyola made an important career change by signing a four-year contract with Club Atlético Independiente, from the Argentine Primera División.
In addition to his club career, Loyola has also worn the Chilean national team’s shirt. He was a member of the under-23 team that won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago in 2023 and, in the same year, received his first call-up to the senior team in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Independiente’s starter throughout the 2025 season, Loyola played 42 matches and scored nine goals, numbers that contributed to its appreciation in the market. The midfielder has a current contract with the Argentine club until 2028, a factor that makes the release more complex.
In addition to playing in midfield, Felipe Loyola can also be used as a right-back. This versatility is seen internally as a relevant point within Santos’ planning for assembling the squad for the 2026 season.
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