Sport and Cuiabá officially exchange forwards: Carlos Alberto goes to Dourado, and Derik Lacerda reinforces Leão

Sport and Cuiabá have reached an agreement to exchange forwards Carlos Alberto and Derik Lacerda. The deal aims to strengthen the teams for the 2025 Brasileirão, with both players seeking new opportunities with their respective clubs.

The agreement, made free of charge and without a purchase option, meets the specific needs of each club: Sport is looking to strengthen its attack for Serie A, while Cuiabá is in the process of restructuring with a view to Serie B.

Carlos Alberto, 22, was born and raised at América-MG and arrived at Botafogo in 2023, initially on loan. After excelling, his stay with the Rio de Janeiro club was secured. In early 2024, he was loaned to RWD Molenbeek in Belgium, where he played 17 matches, scored 3 goals, and provided 2 assists. In the second half of last year, he returned to Botafogo, played 9 matches, and scored 2 goals, being part of the squad that won the Libertadores and Brasileirão. In 2025, he was transferred to Sport, where he played 27 matches, recorded 3 goals and 2 assists. Now, at Cuiabá, the striker seeks more opportunities and consistency to regain his momentum.

Derik Lacerda, 25, arrives at Sport with the mission of reigniting his potential and strengthening the red-and-black attack. He debuted at Resende-RJ before launching himself in Europe: he played for Académica (2019-20, 14 games, 2 goals) and Moreirense (2020-22, 41 games, 2 goals) in Portugal, and Ponferradina (2022-23, 38 games, 3 goals) in Spain. In July 2023, he was loaned to Cuiabá, played 19 matches, scoring 1 goal and assisting 1, and in January 2024, his rights were permanently acquired by the club. Since then, he has played 72 matches, scoring 8 goals and 4 assists, and won the state championship. This season, he was Cuiabá's top scorer with 8 goals (6 in the State Championship and 2 in Series B), accumulating a total of 95 games, 15 goals and 7 assists - despite the good numbers, he faced pressure from the fans and is looking at Sport for a fresh start to establish himself in the elite.

Before the trade is official, both players will undergo medical examinations. They are expected to join the new squads in the coming days, after their contracts are formalized.