Marcel makes history: £3.7m swoop is STA's record deal

New Year's Eve in Brazil, and the fireworks started early at STA. The club have smashed their transfer record to land Marcel from VIT for a cool £3.7 million, the biggest fee they have ever paid for a player.

The 30-year-old right winger puts pen to paper on a deal that sends shockwaves through the Brazilian National First Division. He arrives with a reputation for loyalty and a willingness to play anywhere he is asked, and he leaves VIT with the best wishes of the backroom staff, especially Wendel Silva de Jesus.

But not everyone is shedding a tear. Manu, Peter, Guilherme and Élcio Vieira are unlikely to be sending Christmas cards. Marcel knows he has critics, but he is content where he is and very happy to be making this move.

STA have been crying out for a new face on the right flank. Mailson left on a free transfer, and while Camilo has made 80 league starts in the last two seasons, the club clearly felt they needed more depth. Vinícius has 57 starts in the same period, and young Mario Merlo has just 14, so Marcel will fancy his chances of making the position his own.

He arrives with 38 club games and four goals over the last two seasons, split between VIT and now STA. It is a homecoming of sorts—he knows the league, knows the rhythm, and knows how to deliver.

STA's fans have waited a long time for a signing like this. The club have 39 major titles, including 36 Pernambuco State Championships, but they have never splashed this kind of cash before. Marcel is the new record signing, and the pressure is on.

But he is not the type to buckle. He is a player who gives everything for the badge, and he will be expected to hit the ground running when the league resumes.

For now, the fireworks are all for him.