Imminent departure? Why Lucas Ribeiro requested to leave Mamelodi Sundowns camp amid transfer speculation revealed

In what points to an imminent departure, Mamelodi Sundowns star Lucas Ribeiro has left the club's pre-season training camp.

The Brazilians resumed their training and have camped at the Royal Marang in Rustenburg as they prepare for the MTN8 tournament and the Premier Soccer League season kickoff.

According to FARPost, Ribeiro left the camp on Saturday as negotiations for a potential transfer hit an advanced stage.

The 2024/25 PSL top scorer has been linked with a number of clubs from Qatar, France, and Belgium. Latest reports indicate that Brazilian giants Fluminense are also interested in the Sundowns' striker.

The Fluminense reports intensified when the club sold Colombian attacker Jhon Arias for an initial fee of £15 million [approximately R350 million] to English Premier League side Wolves.

Ribeiro was an important figure in Sundowns' PSL title-winning squad, as he also scored 25 goals in 51 games across all competitions.

The 26-year-old joined Masandawana in 2023 and developed into a key player. His top-level performance was also evident during the FIFA Club World Cup, where he won the Goal of the Tournament for his goal against Borussia Dortmund.

As speculation intensifies about Ribeiro's future, the Brazilians are intensifying their pre-season preparations.

They are set to face Richards Bay in their quarter-final game of the MTN8 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

The Tshwane giants first resumed training on July 21 after taking part in the Club World Cup, where they were eliminated at the group stage.