Cruzeiro has made signing an experienced left-back a priority for the middle of the year, and according to ESPN, São Paulo's 32-year-old Wendell is on their list of players being considered for signing. The club has reportedly already made an initial inquiry for the Brazilian player, who is familiar to Cruzeiro's coach Artur Jorge from their time as opponents in Portugal when Wendell was at Porto and Jorge was at Braga. Two main obstacles to a potential deal are that São Paulo does not intend to facilitate the player's exit, and Wendell is close to the 12-match limit per team in the Campeonato Brasileiro, having already played in 10 matches. Wendell, who has a contract with São Paulo until December 2027, is one of several national and international options being considered by Cruzeiro, as the coaching staff's preference is for an experienced player. The defender has six caps for Brazil, joined São Paulo in January 2025, and has a current market value of €2.00m, according to Transfermarkt.