Gigi Becali stated that he received an offer of two million euros for Joao Paulo from abroad about a month ago. According to Digi Sport, the team that wanted to transfer Joao Paulo was Al-Okhdood, from the second division of Saudi Arabia. Gigi Becali refused to let the player go, citing FCSB's delicate situation, despite admitting the offer was good. Joao Paulo's public statements indicated he also would not have agreed to a transfer; he stated that he feels he needs to stay at FCSB to achieve his objectives and is very happy at the club.

Egyptian clubs Zamalek and Al-Ahly had shown interest in FCSB player João Paulo, a 28-year-old Cape Verdean defensive midfielder, before Al-Okhdood made an offer, but a deal was not reached with Gigi Becali. Following this, interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Okhdood was reported. The Saudi team initially proposed approximately one million euros, then increased the bid to 1.3 million, and made a final offer of 1.5 million euros. Gigi Becali rejected all proposals, as they were significantly lower than his expectations. Consequently, the transfer did not proceed, and João Paulo will remain at FCSB at least until the winter. The player stated that after a discussion with his agent, he felt he should stay at the club to achieve his objectives. The midfielder has 43 caps for his country, joined FCSB in February 2026, and has a contract that runs until 2028. His current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at €900k.