Southampton sign Brazilian duo

Southampton have secured the services of two promising São Paulo players, Welington and Juan, who will join the club in January following the expiration of their current contracts.

The 23-year-old left-back Welington has been a standout player for São Paulo, accumulating 150 appearances and contributing to their Copa do Brasil and Supercopa do Brasil victories in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He has also represented Brazil at Under-20 and Under-23 levels.

Welington, whose full name is Welington Damascena Santos, started his career with São Paulo's youth teams, progressing through the ranks before making his professional debut in 2020.

The 22-year-old forward Juan Santos da Silva, known simply as Juan, has also agreed to join Southampton. Juan has scored eight goals in 80 appearances for São Paulo and represented Brazil at the Under-19 level.

Juan's journey began in the youth setups of São Caetano, ECUS, Mauaense, and União Barbarense before joining São Paulo's academy in 2019. He made his professional debut later that year and scored his first goal in 2022.