Cardoso Varela (foto: //)
Portuguese talent Cardoso Varela has signed his first professional contract with Dinamo Zagreb, easing Barcelona transfer rumours — for now.
Portuguese wonderkid Cardoso Varela has signed his first professional contract with Dinamo Zagreb, bringing temporary calm to a transfer saga that has stirred tensions between some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
At just 16 years old, Varela has already made headlines both for his talent and the controversy surrounding his switch from Porto to Dinamo. Porto maintain that his agent, Andy Bara, illegally took the player to Croatia, and have warned Barcelona that buying Varela could sever official ties between the clubs.
Rumours recently emerged that Varela might leave Dinamo for Barcelona for €5 million even before making his first-team debut, but that move appears delayed. Instead, the midfielder has committed to Dinamo until 2028, with a release clause set at €5 million. Any future transfer fee will be split: Dinamo will get 47%, while Varela and his agent will receive the rest.
With his new contract, Varela has immediately joined first-team training and is likely to stay with the senior squad for the new season.
“I’m happy this story is settled. I enjoy being in Zagreb and I’m glad to stay at Dinamo. In recent months, I’ve seen what this club means and how big it really is. I’ll give my best to prove myself to the coach and show that I can play at this level,” said Varela.