Town 'Make Initial Approach' For Brazilian International
Monday, 29th Jun 2026 09:33

Town are reported to have made an approach to Lille for Brazilian international defender Alexsandro.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have made initial contact with the Ligue 1 side regarding the 26-year-old.

Town are said to be one of a number of clubs interested with talks under way regarding a fee of around €30 million (£26 million), which would be a new record for the Blues.

Rio de Janeiro-born centre-half Alexsandro left his home country to join Praiense in the Portugusese third tier in 2019.

A year later he moved on to Amora in the same division, before he stepped up a tier to Chaves in June 2021.

The 6ft 2in tall central defender joined Lille for €2 million (£1.7 million) in July 2022 and has now made more than 100 appearances for the club.

Alexsandro, who is contracted until the summer of 2028, received his first international call-up a year ago and has now won three caps, but is not in the Brazilian World Cup squad, injury having limited him to 11 appearances in all competitions during 2025/26.

New Town boss Gary O’Neil is likely to be familiar with Alexsandro having been in charge of Strasbourg in Ligue 1 in the second half of last season.

If Alexsandro were to join the Blues he would become the first Brazilian ever to represent the club.

Photo: Mutsu Kawamori/AFLO via Reuters Connect

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VitalSigns added 12:39 - Jun 29 Highlights reels are always questionable. I do like the fact he seems very comfortable on the ball, composed and able to pick a pass with either left or right foot (a rare skill these days).
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Bazza8564 added 13:24 - Jun 29

well, one of two things has happened here, either my "Ignore user" list is now complete or the comments on here are getting more balanced :)

I don't know this player so Im not going to comment on that, but the Premier League is a massive draw for players so if (i have no idea who else is sniffing) we are the top English club we have a decent chance of getting him. £26m isnt a huge fee and the financial risk is always offset by the obligatory relegation clause anyway.

I can see this type of fee being the norm for us, and even higher this time around. Yes we will get Pope (if he comes) for £5m but I if we crave the 9 or so that our squad thinning out seems to have done, we must surely go looking for around 5 or 6 permanents totalling £150m plus and another 4 loans with obligations at similar numbers for the following summer.

Money isnt the issue, it's getting the agents to listen and getting the lads in from of MA & GO. We have our foundation level talent, nows the time to stack some real quality over it

With potentially weaker teams coming up with us, and a few clubs stretched by Europe and or second season bounce, we have to attack the market this time with expectations no worse than 50-50.

Ferguson added 13:26 - Jun 29 Love his balance, calmness with the ball in tight situations, and those long passes to get things going. Noted the strapping on his knees but hell yes let's go for it !
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Cervantes added 13:33 - Jun 29

So he had an injury last season. How many players have never had a season interrupted by injury? To think that the recruitment team won't look into possible injury worries shows a significant lack of judgement. His number look pretty god for the two seasons previous to last and he's exactly the profile of player we need to improve the squad. If we signed Haaland, there would still be some whingers on here. We need to spend a very large amount of money on, at least, 5 or 6 players if we hope to survive next season. Some will be hits, others misses. Some people need to take their omniscient god specs off and support our club, its staff and any new signings.

oldelsworthyfan added 13:55 - Jun 29 Yes please!
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Bergholtblue added 14:13 - Jun 29 MickMillsTash..... sorry I was trying to make my screen bigger and marked you down by mistake. Apologies
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britbiker added 14:14 - Jun 29 I get the injury worry comments, but on the opposite side, at least he shouldn't be suffering from burnout having had a decent break last season.
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mojo added 14:14 - Jun 29 @oldelworthyfan downmarked your first post in error, apologies.
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blueoutlook added 14:21 - Jun 29 Hammo56: he played 89 games the previous 2 seasons. It’s one injury, nearly all players get injured occasionally.
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tractorboybig added 14:42 - Jun 29 its that time of year, we should just sit back and see what happens cant be worse than most of our signings last time in prem
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Linkboy13 added 15:56 - Jun 29

The fact he's had his injury problems greatly improves our chances of signing him if he was playing in the world cup for Brazil the competition for him would more than likely put us out of the running. Similar to the situation we had with Tuanzebe who when fit looked quality it's a gamble you have to take when a player got a history of injuries although Tuanzebes were far more serious and long term.

SickParrot added 16:14 - Jun 29 Never heard of him but if he plays for Brazil when fit he should be good. However £26 million makes him expensive for a defender and at that price he has to be very, very good.
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Monkey_Blue added 16:25 - Jun 29 I only have one question…. Is he any good? I don’t care if he from Brazil or Bognor. Can he play?
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armchaircritic59 added 17:55 - Jun 29

Would be concerned about any possible new signing if he had a history of injuries. This guy appears to have had his problem only last season. I believe we have a highly rated medical set up here, so all things being equal, it should be fine. In life you have to take risks, though hopefully they're calculated ones. I would imagine a thorough medical will pick up any unforeseen problem. Other than that I know little about him, so in recruitment we trust!

blueboy1981 added 19:27 - Jun 29

Next season will be seriously tough - unless we can make some seriously Prem’ standard signings staying up would be a huge success in itself.
Is it going to be possible to attract and even afford that kind of quality players ? - we once could but the game and club is not the drawing plaster we once were.
In fairness I think we have a slightly better chance than our previous attempt with GO’N in harness but Who Knows ? - we will see.
One thing for sure is any recruitment needs to be an improvement on previous - and spot on, because we should have learnt from our previous escapade in the Prem’.
I cannot see massive squad changes to be fair, therefore certain players will need to ‘step up’ to the plate like never before.
It’s not being negative it’s realisation of the task ahead for ALL.
No time to lose - in avoiding another embarrassing Prem’ attempt, that’s for sure.

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armchaircritic59 added 20:51 - Jun 29

blueboy1981, I don't think you're being negative, I think you're just telling it like it is. It's a very simple equation, if you want to stay in and then prosper in the PL, you need PL quality players all over the pitch. Fail to do that and there's just one way any club is heading. We will see how many of the squad that got us up remain as first team regulars come the end of next season, my guess is few. Something I'd love to be wrong about as it would save some money that could then be spent on higher quality players.

feelinblue50 added 21:56 - Jun 29 Can’t believe the comments about the injury last season, a certain Wes Burns out for almost a year, say no more.
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Monkey_Blue added 08:20 - Jun 30 feelinblue50… yeah but we weren’t looking to sign Burns. I agree that one injury shouldn’t rule us out of signing someone dependent on how serious, what kind etc, but your point could be demolished by listing players who’ve had a serious injury and never been the same after.
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BobbyBell added 09:47 - Jun 30

Such daft comments over injuries and medicals. No club would pay so much for a player without a thorough investigation into the injury and the likely hood of long term problems. Why feel the need to make such comments when it's so blatantly obvious ?
It's also possible that any club could sign a player who's never had any injuries issues and within a month they get injured and they're out for weeks.

Linkboy13 added 09:56 - Jun 30 Wes Burns was fit when we signed him and contributed massively to our promotions and wasn't any where near 26million pounds.
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blueboy1981 added 13:35 - Jun 30 …… HaHaHa ! - same old down markers time after time - obviously the Adult ? Kindergarten is closed for the Summer. If I said Blue was definitely Blue - they’d down mark me for that ! Kiddies will be Kiddies I guess - irrespective of age and years !
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StowTractor added 09:46 - Jul 1 Arsenal were considering this player a couple of seasons back. Yes he was injured for half of last season but if he had been fit he would have been in Brazil's world cup squad and we would never have been able to afford the fee & he would have been off to a top 6 club in the PL or Spain / Italy.
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Cervantes added 14:16 - Jul 1

@BobbyBell Exactly, anyone remember Ulrich Le Pen? Had a great fitness record and superb assist stats. I think he got seriously injured either pre-season or very early doors and we didn't see anything of him after that. All transfers come with various risks but this lad (and I know it's a highlight reel) is quick, strong and seems to read the game well. He's also appears to be able to use either foot equally well. I hope we get him.