Sports
Flamengo Agrees Terms with Luiz Henrique, Seeks Zenit Deal
The Rio club agrees salary terms with the forward, but hits a stumbling block over the Russian side's payment demands.
Flamengo has reached a personal terms agreement with Luiz Henrique that would make him the squad's highest-paid player. However, negotiations still hinge on the payment structure demanded by Zenit, who insist on receiving €30 million upfront.
Flamengo has agreed on personal terms with Luiz Henrique. The forward, formerly of Botafogo and currently at Zenit, accepted the Rio club's offer and will become the squad's highest earner if the transfer goes through. The report was broken by journalists Venê Casagrande and Raissa Simplício. Flamengo's board will continue negotiations despite the registration deadline passing for their Copa Libertadores clash against Cruzeiro.
In the video above, Bernardo Ramos analyzes the market move and breaks down the tactical impact the forward would bring to the team's attacking setup.
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The financial impasse between the clubs
Despite the player giving the green light, an agreement between the two boards remains pending. The deal structure proposed by Flamengo involves paying €30 million in installments over 3 years, plus €5 million in bonuses linked to athletic performance and performance targets. Zenit, on the other hand, demands the €30 million paid upfront in full, although they are willing to accept the additional €5 million in variables.
According to Bernardo, the forward would bring a significant leap in technical quality to the attack. In the journalist's view, operating out wide on the right wing as a left-footed player cutting toward the byline, Luiz Henrique possesses greater creative ability than Pratto and Luiz Araújo, which would create more scoring chances for center forward Pedro.
Failed Thiago Almada bid and management criticism
The push for Luiz Henrique gained momentum following the breakdown in negotiations for Thiago Almada, who finalized a move to River Plate. According to reporting by Rodrigo Matos, the player requested R$2,900,000.00 per month to sign with the Gávea-based club—a wage demand that would have eclipsed every other salary in the squad.
Losing the player to the Argentine side drew sharp criticism from Bernardo over sporting director José Boto's handling of the transfer market. The commentator highlighted the economic gulf between the leagues: while the Argentine champion receives $500,000 in prize money, the Copa do Brasil awards over R$70 million to its winner. Despite posting revenue of R$2,070,000,000.00 in 2025, Flamengo struggled to finalize the deal. Even so, Bernardo stressed that Landim's commitment to preserving financial governance and avoiding reckless spending is the right approach to safeguard the club's long-term health.
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