FC Porto has had an improved bid for Santos central defender Jair Filho turned down, with the Brazilian club insisting it wants to keep him until its season ends in December, according to Flashscore Portugal.
Porto’s second offer, worth €12 million plus the permanent transfer of forward Wendel Silva back to Santos, followed an initial €7 million bid that had already been rejected.
Santos has stayed firm on both proposals.
The club is determined to hold onto Jair Filho through the end of the Brazilian season, when it is chasing promotion back to the top flight, rather than sell a key defender mid-campaign for a fee it considers short of his value.
The player’s own stance has already become part of the story.
Jair Filho asked not to be included in Santos’ squad for a recent match against Ponte Preta, a request widely read in Brazil as a signal that he wants the move to Porto to happen. That puts Santos in the position of holding a player who has effectively told the club he wants to leave, while still needing him on the field for a promotion push.
Jair Filho’s contract at Santos runs only through 2026, which works in Porto’s favor even if this window closes without a deal. A club unwilling to sell now for €12 million plus a makeweight risks losing more of its leverage the closer his contract gets to expiring, since Porto could simply wait and negotiate a cheaper fee, or a free transfer, later.
For Porto, the swap structure is notable.
Offering Wendel Silva, a forward from the club’s B team currently out on loan at Santos, as part of the package shows Porto trying to soften the fee rather than raise its cash offer again immediately. Portugal’s transfer window closes on Monday, adding pressure to reach an agreement quickly if Porto wants Jair Filho registered in time for the new Liga Portugal season.
Status: FC Porto has had two bids rejected by Santos for Jair Filho, the latest worth €12 million plus Wendel Silva’s return. No agreement is in place, Santos has not shifted from its December timeline, and the Portuguese transfer window’s Monday deadline leaves limited time for a breakthrough.
