Tomás Palacios Set To Join Santos After Basel Move Falls Through

Tomás Palacios will join Santos on loan after his transfer to Basel failed. The deal includes an option for Santos to buy him permanently next summer.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Tomás Palacios will leave Inter to join Santos after talks with Basel fell through. Inter approved the move, with Santos covering Palacios’ salary during his loan. The initial option to buy the defender was reported to be over €10 million, but the real figure is said to be closer to €6.5 million. Inter and Santos have agreed on a deal for Palacios in the final days of the January transfer window.

TEAM AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE IN 2025

Palacios has made just five appearances for Inter this season and has fallen out of favor with the club. Inter finished second in the Serie A last season, losing out to Napoli, who also won their opener. Palacios’ move to Basel fell through on Monday, and Inter were happy to send him to Santos. Santos are chasing the top four in Brazil, and head coach Andres Kubala has been tasked with leading the club back to the top. The team beat ninth-placed Cruzeiro at the weekend, moving three points clear of their rivals. They are one point behind fifth-placed Figueirense and three behind fourth-placed Fluminense. Santos face eighth-place Grêmio in a key match in their top-four quest this week.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR SANTOS AND PALACIOS?

Palacios is set to fly to Brazil on Tuesday to complete his move to Santos. The club are pushing for a top-four finish, and new head coach Kubala has been heavily backed in recent windows as he attempts to bring success back to São Paulo. Santos have already signed midfielder Claudio Gomes and defender Adriel during this window. Santos believe Palacios, who is versatile enough to play both centrally and on the right of the defence, will be a valuable addition.