A month before the opening of the transfer window for signing players from abroad, Flamengo moves boldly in the market, but without taking its feet off the ground. The club opened some negotiation fronts, among them with Chelsea striker Kenedy; midfielder Thiago Mendes, from Lyon; and midfielder Renato Augusto, from Beijing Guoan, from China.
The first two forays are considered almost impossible, since the two athletes have two more years of contract in their teams. But they signaled that they would return to Brazil. In the case of Renato Augusto, who also has a contract in force, there is a possibility of a break due to debts with the Chinese club. What would open up the possibility of the 33-year-old former red-black return free, just for salary and gloves, to the club where he was revealed.
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The main point is that the sale of Gerson to Olympique, in France, is not synonymous with financial strength for large investments in the market. On the contrary. Flamengo still sees itself in a scenario of great financial restriction due to the lack of income from games with fans and the like (such as the supporting partner). Therefore, the R$ 160 million from the negotiation with the French club comes more as a tranquilizer to close the accounts on time than funds to invest.
“It left the club financially healthy and quiet. But it didn’t give him the ability to invest heavily, explains a source in the board.
In Kenedy’s case, the contacts are for a loan along the lines of the stint he had with Granada, from Spain, given by Chelsea. And, as well as the hiring of Thiago Maia, for example, with a purchase option at the end of the one-year period. Kenedy was on vacation in Rio and came to treat an injury at the Vulture’s Nest, but Chelsea called him back. Soccer runner-up Marcos Braz saw the chance and made contact with the player and his agent, Evandro Ferreira. On Monday, athlete and Chelsea were informed of Flamengo’s interest.
The club is also trying to hire Thiago Mendes to replace Gerson. The player was indicated by coach Rogerio Ceni, who has not yet had the request for reinforcements attended to by the board. But the time is ripe for Marcos Braz and director Bruno Spindel to use their market skills to hire even without money. The idea is to try to get Lyon to release the athlete also on loan. Flamengo knows it’s unlikely, but they try.
That is, the magic year of reinforcements like 2019 is not possible. The idea is to act on time so that the team does not lose quality. And keep an eye out for opportunities. The password is: to buy, you have to sell. Therefore, in addition to Gerson, the club takes advantage of the opening of the window of European countries to showcase its potential talents.
Remember that Flamengo still needs to pay installments of signings from previous years and the main one made this season: Pedro, which cost 14 million euros, coming from Fiorentina. The club also hopes to renew with Arrascaeta, so that the midfielder does not have the same fate as Gerson.
Retrieved from: O Globo
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