On Wednesday, Diego Pituca reached an agreement to terminate his contract with Santos and is preparing to transfer to V-Varen Nagasaki in Japan. This development was first reported by TNT and subsequently verified by Gazeta Esportiva. Pituca had been experiencing a lack of playing time at Santos, having not participated in the last three Brasileirão matches against Internacional, Sport, and Juventude. Over the current season, he appeared in 23 games, starting in 13, and managed to score one goal along with providing one assist. The 32-year-old midfielder, who had been a crucial player under coach Fábio Carille in the previous season, found it challenging to sustain his performance level this year due to new competition from Zé Rafael and Willian Arão. Although he began the year as part of the starting lineup, Pituca admitted on social media that he was not in peak form, which influenced his decision to move to Japan.