Flamengo president Bap adopted caution when discussing negotiations for Thiago Almada, emphasizing that any official announcement would come exclusively from the Rubro-Negro football department.
On a day marked by tributes at the Maracanã, Flamengo‘s president, known as Bap, took the opportunity at the event to officially announce that club icon Arrascaeta would receive a bust at Gávea, immortalizing his name alongside Bruno Henrique‘s. However, the celebratory atmosphere did not open the door for anticipations about the transfer market. When questioned about the possible arrival of Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada, the executive maintained a reserved stance.
The president made it clear that the club maintains its policy of discretion in transfer negotiations. For the fans of the Mais Querido, the message is one of patience: any update regarding new signings will only be communicated through the official channels of the football department.
Bap’s Stance on the Deal
Addressing the topic, the president was emphatic in his professional stance of not anticipating stages of complex negotiations.
“I won’t talk about Almada today. I have never spoken about player signings at any moment. It wasn’t today that I was going to talk about it. The signing is happening and will be announced by the football department.”
This statement reinforces the internal alignment of the Flamengo leadership, which seeks to avoid external noise while working behind the scenes to strengthen the squad led by Leonardo Jardim.
What José Boto Said
Recently, football director José Boto also addressed the club’s interest in the player. The Portuguese executive explained the Rubro-Negro‘s financial caution, highlighting that despite ongoing discussions, the deal requires responsibility.
“It’s true that we are interested in Thiago, and we are in talks with him. Nothing is closed; the player has not yet said yes. If he comes, he will come under the conditions we want; we don’t have an oil well to spend money that doesn’t exist. We are working on it.”
Behind the Scenes and Reporting
Optimism behind the scenes, however, remains high. According to reporting by Coluna do Fla, the Rio de Janeiro club presented a proposal exceeding 20 million euros (approximately R$ 115 million) offered by River Plate, which puts Flamengo at an advantage in negotiations with Atlético de Madrid, who holds half of the player’s economic rights.
The player’s representative, Agustín Jiménez, has a trip to Rio de Janeiro scheduled for the coming days. The expectation is that a resolution will occur once bureaucratic procedures are aligned with all parties involved.
Next Challenge
While the board works on reinforcements, the main squad’s focus remains on the Brazilian Serie A. This Sunday (26), Flamengo faces São Paulo for the 20th round of the competition. Kick-off is at 6:30 PM BRT (Brasília Time) at the Maracanã, with live broadcast via the Premiere pay-per-view system.
