Dodô’s future has become one of Fiorentina’s unfinished pieces of business, a contract story now running alongside a fight for his place in Paolo Vanoli’s side. The Brazilian right-back is tied to the club until June 2027, but unless an agreement is found soon, the balance of power will increasingly move away from Florence. Once the next January transfer window closes, he will be able to negotiate a pre-contract with another club and prepare a free transfer, with the prospect of a higher salary made possible by the absence of a fee.
Fiorentina have not abandoned the hope of keeping him. The club’s intention remains to extend the deal, at least by another year, but there is no meeting with the player’s representatives currently scheduled during the international break. Time is therefore becoming as important as the negotiation itself: the Viola have roughly three months to find a renewal, then one final month in which a sale could still prevent a departure without compensation.
This is not a sudden impasse. Discussions over a new agreement have continued since May 2024, when a signature appeared close. Fiorentina repeatedly proposed a wage increase and a contract running to 2030, yet the final agreement never arrived. Further approaches followed through the subsequent months, without producing the required signatures.
One issue during Daniele Pradè’s time as sporting director may have concerned the commissions sought by Dodô’s agents, which were viewed as terms for a fresh contract rather than a straightforward extension. Whatever the precise reason, the deadlock remained even after Fabio Paratici assumed control of the sporting area.
A crowded position and a declining margin for error
Dodô arrived in Florence in the summer of 2022, but his summer exit once seemed so likely that Fiorentina had already recruited two alternatives for the right side between mid-July and early August. Álex Jiménez and João Mário joined the squad while the club awaited a departure that ultimately did not materialise.
Roma and Napoli both made enquiries during the summer without moving decisively. Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos did make concrete proposals, but neither destination appealed to the player. Napoli retain an interest, having considered a move before, although their earlier plans were affected by the need to make sales for financial reasons. The presence of former Fiorentina player Favasuli in Massimiliano Allegri’s options has not necessarily closed the door on a possible pursuit of Dodô.
The consequence for Fiorentina is an unusually congested role. Right-back is the only position in which Vanoli has three established options, largely because nobody expected Dodô to still be at Viola Park in September. The Brazilian now begins behind Jiménez and João Mário in the pecking order, despite having expected to start in Venice on 11 September in the first match of Vanoli’s second spell.
He is working regularly in training and featured in last Saturday’s open-door friendly against Signa, seeking to persuade Vanoli to give him an opportunity after receiving the coach’s trust last season. The club, however, consider him short of full fitness, while his contractual uncertainty does little to strengthen his position.
There is also a relationship with the city to rebuild. Dodô’s standing among Fiorentina supporters has weakened after an underwhelming previous campaign and the growing impression that he has spent more than a year readying himself for a move elsewhere. His challenge is now double: to show he can surpass the two summer arrivals on the pitch, and to establish whether his long-running renewal talks can still produce an ending that suits both player and club.
