RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar promised "maximum commitment" on Wednesday after securing a return to his original club Sao Paulo.
The 33-year-old agreed to a three-year deal with the Tricolor Paulista after parting ways with Chinese Super League (CSL) club Shanghai Port earlier this month.
"I want to start the year well to lay the foundation for a successful season," Oscar said. "We have high hopes and I can promise that from me there will be maximum commitment."
Oscar made 248 appearances across all competitions for Shanghai Port following his 2017 arrival from Chelsea. He scored 77 goals and provided 141 assists during his time in China, helping Shanghai Port to three CSL titles.
On a personal level, Oscar is in peak form, having led Shanghai Port to this year's CSL title with 14 goals and 24 assists.
"I've just had one of my best years in Shanghai, more than 30 assists, 16 goals," Oscar said. "I'm in a good phase, both technically and physically. So, I hope to come here to Sao Paulo and help as much as I can to win big titles and be at the top of my game."
Oscar began his professional career at Sao Paulo in 2008 and moved to Internacional in 2010 before his high-profile transfer to Chelsea two years later. He has been capped 48 times for Brazil and was a member of Luiz Felipe Scolari's side that won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil.
The playmaker said he is looking forward to reuniting with former Brazil national team colleagues Lucas Moura and Luiz Gustavo when Sao Paulo's squad begins pre-season training in January 2025.
"Lucas sent a message wanting to know if I would be coming," Oscar said. "And then there's Luiz Gustavo, who I played with on the national team. It feels good to be back among so many familiar faces." ■
