Record Sale for Northeastern Brazilian Football
Ecuadorian full-back Jhoanner Chávez represents the largest sale in northeastern Brazilian football. Chávez has struggled to establish himself consistently in the Steel Squad. The announcement is expected after the transfer window opens.
Bahia has confirmed the sale of 22-year-old Ecuadorian left-back Jhoanner Chávez, who was on loan at Lens, France. As the deal included a mandatory purchase option upon meeting certain performance targets, the Salvador club finalized the sale of this promising player. Consequently, Bahia has set the record for the highest transfer in the history of northeastern Brazilian football with a total of 4.5 million euros, approximately R$ 25.7 million at the current exchange rate.
While Bahia negotiated the player’s transfer, they also secured a deal to receive a percentage of any future sale of Chávez. Lens is expected to announce the deal shortly. According to “Globo Esporte,” the French club is waiting for the opening of the European transfer window.
To become the largest sale in the northeast region, Chávez’s transfer had to surpass the departure of Moisés from Fortaleza to Cruz Azul of Mexico, which was around R$ 24.5 million. Below are the top five transfers from the northeast:
- Jhoanner Chávez (Bahia to Lens-FRA) – R$ 25.7 million
- Moisés (Fortaleza to Cruz Azul-MEX) – about R$ 24.5 million
- Caio Alexandre (Fortaleza to Bahia) – about R$ 24.3 million
- Lucas Ribeiro (Vitória to Hoffenheim-GER) – R$ 16 million
- Gregore (Bahia to Inter Miami-USA) – R$ 15.7 million
Profitable Investment
Although the arrival of the left-back, considered a gem by the Bahian club, placed in the top five biggest investments of the region, Chávez’s sale represented a profit for the club. Bahia spent about R$ 7.7 million to acquire the player. However, the total cost entered the list as one of the largest acquisitions.
Here are the biggest acquisitions from the northeast:
- Caio Alexandre (Bahia): R$ 24.3 million
- Jean Lucas (Bahia): R$ 24.2 million
- Moisés (Fortaleza): R$ 18.4 million
- Jhoanner Chávez (Bahia): R$ 18 million
- Cauly (Bahia): R$ 13.8 million
Thus, the story of the Ecuadorian full-back at Bahia concludes. Upon his arrival at the club, he scored one goal and provided two assists in 29 games played last season. However, his performance began to decline, and he lost his spot. Shortly thereafter, he was loaned to Independiente del Valle, where he regained his form, catching the interest of the French team. His last game as a starter for the French team was on April 12.
