Flamengo has inquired about signing Anthony Valencia, a forward from Royal Antwerp. The 23-year-old Ecuadorian player emerges as a strategic alternative for the Rubro-Negro squad.
The transfer market remains active behind the scenes at Gávea. With the imminent departure of Gonzalo Plata to Russian football, Flamengo has turned its attention to the European market. The current target is young forward Anthony Valencia, who currently plays for Royal Antwerp in Belgium. According to the European portal Tribuna.com, negotiations between the parties have already begun.
The player is enjoying an excellent individual moment, having scored three goals in just three matches played in the 2026/27 season. A left-footed player who can easily operate on both wings, Valencia possesses characteristics that interest the Rubro-Negro coaching staff. He developed in the traditional academy of Independiente del Valle, a club that Mengão will soon face in the Copa Libertadores de América.
Factors Facilitating the Deal
Valencia‘s potential departure from Belgian football gains traction due to a recent move by Royal Antwerp. The signing of another young Ecuadorian, Carlos Mejia, for the same position, signals that the European club is open to listening to offers for the 23-year-old player. Although he trained normally with the squad this Friday (28), the forward’s permanence in the Belgian team is still considered uncertain as negotiations progress.
Gonzalo Plata’s Shadow
Interestingly, Anthony Valencia‘s name was linked to Gonzalo Plata during the last World Cup. At the time, Valencia was Plata‘s immediate backup on the Ecuador national team. Now, both players’ paths may cross again in Rio de Janeiro, as Plata is set to depart for Dynamo Moscow in a transfer expected to bring approximately 12 million euros to Flamengo’s coffers.
Although sparingly used in the World Cup by Sebastián Beccacece, Valencia‘s potential is highly praised in Ecuador. Some local analysts even point to him as a more complete and efficient player than Gonzalo Plata himself, sparking curiosity about his possible impact on Brazilian football should the deal materialize.
M360 Team Analysis
Regarding this move, the M360 Team assesses the player’s profile:
Anthony Valencia‘s name fits the profile that Flamengo is looking for in the market: young, relatively inexpensive, and less high-profile.
Flamengo‘s board, as usual, adopts caution and does not officially confirm the progress of the talks. However, the search for quick replacements for the offensive sector indicates that the Rubro-Negro aims to maintain squad competitiveness before the marathon of decisive matches approaching on the national and continental calendar.
M360 Team
