Casa Pia Transfer Market: Sporting-trained defender could boost club coffers

Interest in João Goulart is heating up. After A BOLA exclusively reported last April that Qarabag had made inquiries into the conditions for acquiring the Casa Pia player, our newspaper can now reveal another club in the running: Levski Sofia.

The Bulgarian champions are managed by Spaniard Julio Velázquez, a coach with extensive knowledge of Portuguese football, having previously managed Belenenses, Vitória de Setúbal, and Marítimo. This familiarity leads him to scout the Portuguese market for potential reinforcements.

Levski Sofia, impressed by João Goulart's performances for the "geese" – 66 appearances and two goals over the last two seasons – is considering a concrete offer for the 26-year-old center-back. According to our findings, Casa Pia's management (SDUQ) will only entertain a sale if a fee of €1.5 million is deposited into the club's accounts.

João Goulart, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Pina Manique-based club, began his youth career at Fayal in the Azores (his birthplace) before completing his development at Sporting. The central defender even made his senior debut for the Lions in the 2021/2022 season before moving to Mafra, where he played until his transfer to Casa Pia.