Mamelodi Sundowns forward Lucas Ribeiro Costa is back in the country for pre-season, after some time off after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Costa, 26, was the standout player for the club in the 2024/25 season with 25 goal contributions in 51 games across all competitions as they won the league and reached the final of the CAF Champions League.
He capped off the campaign with an impressive display in the United States of America at the Club World Cup, where he walked away with the Goal of the Tournament for his solo-goal against Borussia Dortmund.
Several clubs have been linked with the player since, from Qatar, France, and Belgium, but sources have confirmed the figures proposed didn’t meet the asking-price of Sundowns, and neither had the player or his representative interested exploring the said clubs.
Pyramids FC have also made initial contact, as they look to replace Ibrahim Adel, who has joined Al Jazira in United Arab Emirates – but this won’t be entertained either, as the reigning African champions who beat Sundowns to the title last season.
Ribeiro has returned to South Africa after his return to Brazil for vacation, and will be part of the squad who head to Royal Marang for their final pre-season preparations at the state of the art Sports Campus – where they spent some time before the 2023/24 season prior to the trip to the Netherlands.
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.