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Brazilian club Sao Paulo have confirmed midfielder Daniel Correa Freitas has died aged 24.

The Instituto Medico Legal (IML) in Curitiba, Brazil, confirmed Daniel's death after he was said to have been found in a bush in Sao Jose dos Pinhais on Saturday, per TalkSport.

Sao Paulo released a statement confirming the news Monday:

TalkSport referred to a report from Banda B, which said Daniel was found with "two deep cuts on his neck, his head was nearly beheaded, and his genitals were severed."

The attacking midfielder was loaned to Brasileiro Serie B side Sao Bento—also based in Sao Paulo—in June but had played in just two of a possible 21 league games for the club and was approaching the end of his deal.

Prior to that, Daniel was loaned to other Serie B outfits. He spent the first half of 2018 at Ponte Preta but failed to turn out for the club, while he made three appearances during a seven-month loan at Coritiba in 2017.

TalkSport included tribute from some of Daniel's former clubs, including Botafogo, for whom he made his senior debut in 2013.