Sports
Flamengo Closes In on Deal to Sign Thiago Almada
Negotiations involve a five-year contract and a $30 million fee for the Argentine playmaker.
Flamengo is close to securing the signing of midfielder Thiago Almada with a $30 million bid and a five-year deal. Bernardo Ramos breaks down the international competition and how the player fits tactically into the squad.
Flamengo is very close to finalizing the signing of Thiago Almada. Negotiations for the Argentine midfielder involve significant sums and have already seen off South American competition, leaving only the player's decision between remaining in Europe and embracing the project presented by the Rubro-Negro.
In the video above, Bernardo Ramos explains that River Plate dropped out of the race after signing 31-year-old Argentine Miguel Correa for $15 million. According to reporting by Viletta Casagrande and Mauro César, Flamengo has tabled a $30 million offer alongside a five-year contract. For Atlético de Madrid, the transfer would free up squad space and wage bill flexibility for upcoming market moves, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.
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Tactical impact and squad depth
Because this is a complex operation—comparable to the negotiations surrounding Lucas Paquetá—the deal requires patience. On the pitch, Almada brings flexibility to the squad: he can play centrally as an alternative to Arrascaeta or operate out wide on the left wing, a role he took on at Botafogo. In Bernardo's view, this tactical choice also influences the profiles required from full-backs, giving players like Ayrton Lucas or Alex Sandro more freedom to push forward.
International market and the Argentine national team
For Bernardo, moving to Flamengo represents a superior sporting path compared to joining second-tier clubs in Spain or Portugal, such as Porto, where the player would primarily compete for domestic titles. According to the pundit, the playmaker would face fierce competition at top European clubs: at Juventus, he would battle for playing time against Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceição; at Inter Milan, he would go up against established stars like Barella and Mkhitaryan.
Compared to other major moves in Brazilian soccer, such as Danilo joining Palmeiras, Bernardo believes Almada brings greater technical quality and international standing, helping him maintain regular call-ups for the Argentina national team after winning both the Campeonato Brasileiro and Copa Libertadores during his previous spell in the country.
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