Everton Cebolinha Joins Santos and Leaves Flamengo
Winger is released ahead of contract expiration, trimming the Rubro-Negro payroll in the final hours of the transfer window.
Everton Cebolinha is leaving Flamengo for Santos after the São Paulo side hijacked advanced talks with Krasnodar. Bernardo Ramos breaks down the financial relief and the squad planning moving forward.
Everton Cebolinha will play for Santos. The move was first reported by journalist Fábio Sormani and confirmed on the eve of the Brazilian soccer transfer deadline this Friday. The São Paulo club hijacked advanced negotiations the winger was holding with Russian side Krasnodar. Flamengo, which had already signaled it would grant a free release if personal terms were agreed, authorized the early departure of the player, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the year.
According to Bernardo Ramos in the video above, the deal is extremely positive for the Rio de Janeiro side. Although the Rubro-Negro will not receive a direct transfer fee, terminating the deal clears significant wage space by shedding the high salary of a player who cost 16 million euros when signed from Benfica upon request by Jorge Jesus. In Bernardo's view, Cebolinha had an underwhelming stint and added little to the squad since his arrival, never cementing his spot as an undisputed starter.
Squad planning and attacking options
Following Cebolinha's departure and his exit from the team camp in Rio de Janeiro—as the squad prepares to face Independiente del Valle in the Copa Libertadores—Flamengo does not plan to pursue an immediate replacement in the transfer market, barring an exceptional opportunity. The attack is undergoing internal reshuffling: signing Joaquim Freitas as backup to Pedro allows Bruno Henrique to serve as the primary option on the left wing. On the right flank, the squad can rely on alternatives such as Carrascal, Gonzalo Plata, Antony Valencia, and Luiz Araújo.
Behind the scenes and moves at Santos
Behind the scenes, journalist Raissa Simplício learned from Everton Cebolinha's wife that the move had nothing to do with family safety concerns in Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, Santos remains active in the market: the club completed the signing of Arthur Melo after Neymar's father's company settled their transfer ban and is also exploring a deal for Philippe Coutinho. For Bernardo, however, these moves for players past their physical prime offer little on-pitch value.