Bahia signs Rodrigo Nestor, formerly of São Paulo, outright.

Bahia officially announced this Friday, the 7th, the permanent purchase of midfielder Rodrigo Nestor , who had been on loan from São Paulo since the beginning of the season. The 25-year-old player signed a contract until December 2030.

The deal is worth around R$ 23.7 million. Bahia will pay 2 million euros (approximately R$ 12.5 million) to São Paulo in installments over three years, while the City Group will forgive São Paulo's debt related to the purchase of defender Nahuel Ferraresi , valued at 1.8 million euros (R$ 11.2 million).

In the initial loan agreement, Bahia had already paid 1.5 million euros (R$ 9.4 million). Adding both stages of the negotiation, São Paulo totals approximately 5.3 million euros (R$ 32.6 million) for Nestor, including potential bonuses for performance targets. The São Paulo club also retained 20% of the profit from any future sale.

Nestor's transfer becomes the 8th largest in the history of Northeastern Brazilian football. Bahia is responsible for nine of the ten largest purchases in the region; the only one from outside the region is Fortaleza, which acquired Moisés in 2023.

✍🏽 Midfielder Rodrigo Nestor signs a new contract and stays permanently with the team. The number 11 has been involved in 12 goals this year. Read more ➡️ https://t.co/GxbDcJA4qC #BBMP pic.twitter.com/ySq1hHOLYh

— Esporte Clube Bahia (@ecbahia) November 7, 2025

In the squad, Nestor started without much fanfare, but gained relevance in the second half of the year. In 2025, he has 7 goals and 5 assists in 45 games, having his second most prolific season in terms of goals in his career.

Discovered by São Paulo, where he played 219 matches, scored 12 goals and provided 26 assists, Nestor was a key player in the 2023 Copa do Brasil title, scoring the winning goal against Flamengo . He also won the 2021 Campeonato Paulista.

Find out how to get to Arena Fonte Nova to watch Bahia.

Arena Fonte Nova is located at Ladeira da Fonte das Pedras, s/n - Nazaré, Salvador - BA, 40050-565. Situated in the heart of Salvador, the stadium is easily accessible and close to several tourist attractions in the city.

• Subway: The nearest station is Campo da Pólvora (Line 1), located approximately 500 meters from the stadium. Subway service is usually extended on game days, running from two hours before the start and one hour after the end of each match.
• Buses: Several municipal bus lines serve the area, including lines 1234, 1249, 1346, L117, L210, among others.