Roma Target Richarlyson Signs New São Paulo Contract

Richarlyson, 25, signed the new contract over the Christmas period and São Paulo registered the details with the Brazilian authorities yesterday.

He has signed a three year deal, which will expire on the 20th December 2010.

AS Roma were thought to be close to agreeing a deal to sign Richarlyson in January and that was the reason he was initially summoned to São Paulo's headquarters.

However, club officials managed to persuade the midfielder that his immediate future still lies in Brazil and he signed the contract as his commitment to stay with the club ahead of their 2008 Copa Libertadores campaign.

São Paulo coach Muricy Ramalho sees Richarlyson as a key component of his side and was desperate to keep him at the club.

As well as playing as an attacking midfielder, he can also be used on the left of midfield or as a left wing-back, and it is this versatility that makes him so valuable to São Paulo.

Richarlyson comes from a proud footballing family; his father, Reinaldo Felisbino, played for Coritiba as a left-back in the 1980s and his brother, Alecsandro, plays for Cruzeiro, having spent some time on loan at Sporting Lisbon in Portugal last season.