São Paulo in Talks with Cédric Bakambu to Bolster Attack

With a spot in the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals already secured, São Paulo is making moves in the transfer market. The Tricolor Paulista knocked out Bolívar along the way and now awaits a heavyweight opponent in the next round: none other than Boca Juniors. But while that continental storyline plays out, something different is brewing inside the club's front office: the possibility of adding a forward with a track record in Europe and World Cup experience.

That forward is Cédric Bakambu, 35, who became a free agent after departing Betis in recent weeks. According to ESPN Brasil, the Congolese striker's name was pitched to São Paulo's front office, which showed interest and is now considering taking things further. Still, it's too early to talk about a done deal, as talks are only just getting underway.

This isn't the first time his name has come up in Brazilian soccer in recent weeks. Bakambu had held talks with Internacional, but that negotiation fell apart and the Porto Alegre club chose not to move forward. Now it's São Paulo taking up the pursuit.

What can a 35-year-old free agent forward bring to the table? For starters, a recent scoring record. Over his last three seasons at Betis he played 80 matches, scored 15 goals and added seven assists, numbers that made him a reliable rotation option in LaLiga. Before that, his career took him through China, Turkey and Spain, along with a stint on the Democratic Republic of Congo national team, with whom he played at the last World Cup.

For a São Paulo side that needs fresh attacking options down the stretch of the season, with the Brasileirão and the Copa Sudamericana running side by side, adding an experienced attacker at no transfer cost, given his free agent status, is an appealing move both on the field and financially. It remains to be seen whether the negotiation moves forward before the market shifts elsewhere.

In the meantime, the immediate focus is on the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal clash with Boca Juniors, a matchup set to add plenty of South American history to the Tricolor Paulista's schedule in the coming weeks.