Matheus Franca is now back at Crystal Palace after his loan spell with Vasco da Gama officially came to an end.
The 22-year-old endured a tough time back in Brazilian football, where he initially showed so much promise at Flamengo that Crystal Palace agreed to spend £26m on his signature.
Franca scored just one goal in 27 appearances for Vasco da Gama – only four of those games saw the South American make the starting XI – and Globo Esporte have now provided a scathing assessment of the loan.
Does Matheus Franca have a future at Crystal Palace? 🇧🇷
Matheus Franca branded a “disappointment” by Brazilian media
The Brazilian news outlet state that Franca endured a “frustrating spell” with Vasco da Gama, who paid 100% of his reported £40,000-a-week salary during the loan.
Globo Esporte explain that the Brazil U20 international suffered from a ‘lack of match rhythm and mental factors’ while at Vasco da Gama, suggesting Pierre Sage has plenty of work to do when it comes to the personal side of managing the attacker.
However, there is some form of defence for Franca, as it is explained that Vasco da Gama endured a run of seven defeats in eight games which made it hard for the Crystal Palace loanee to make an impact in attack when he did get onto the pitch.
The signing of Johan Rojas also pushed the man born in Rio de Janeiro down the pecking order.
A decision has already been made over Matheus Franca
A different Brazilian news outlet in RTE Esporte recently claimed that a verdict has already been reached when it comes to the South American.
It was said that Franca does not feature in Sage’s plans for the 2026/27 campaign, although a permanent exit is not being considered at this moment in time.
A loan move back to Brazil has been mooted, an outcome which Franca and his representatives are said to be in favour of.
It would be nice to see the £26m man get a chance in pre-season before any decision is made, especially as 12 players are away at the World Cup and might still be on holiday by the time our friendlies begin.
Crystal Palace’s fixtures are out for the 2026/27 season! Which game are you most excited for? 🤔
Hopefully – if an opportunity does arise – Franca can grab it with both hands.
