Olympiacos full-back Rodinei is closing in on a return to Brazil after agreeing personal terms with Santos on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
According to reports from Brazilian sources, the 34-year-old defender has reached a full agreement with Santos to continue his career in South America. However, the transfer remains subject to final sign-off from Olympiacos, where Rodinei still has one year remaining on his current contract.
The proposed move would mark a repatriation for the veteran defender, with initial reporting of the agreement sourced via Greek outlet Gazzetta.gr on Sunday. While the player side has finalized terms for the multi-year deal, official approval from the Greek club remains the final hurdle before the deal can be completed.
Agreement terms and contract status
Santos have secured full agreement on personal terms for the 2.5-year deal, but negotiations with Olympiacos must still be finalized. Rodinei remains under contract in Piraeus for another season, leaving the Greek club with the final decision on whether to release the full-back ahead of the upcoming transfer deadline.
Background on player and clubs
Rodinei Marcelo de Almeida, known as Rodinei, is an experienced right full-back who spent the majority of his career in Brazilian domestic football before moving to Europe. Prior to joining Olympiacos, he featured prominently for major Brazilian clubs including Flamengo and Internacional.
Olympiacos are based in Piraeus and rank as the most successful football club in Greek domestic history, regularly competing in European tournaments. Santos FC, located in the state of Sao Paulo, are one of Brazil's premier football institutions, renowned globally as the long-time club of legends Pele and Neymar.
Next steps for the transfer
With the player side aligned on terms, the deal now awaits formal authorization from Olympiacos leadership. If the Greek club grants their final approval, Rodinei will complete his departure from Piraeus and formalize his move to Santos.
