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Flamengo Held Hostage by Almada in Transfer Market
With a tight Libertadores deadline and rivalry with River Plate, the Argentine midfielder's indecision pressures Flamengo's board.
Flamengo's pursuit of Almada remains unresolved following José Boto's return to Brazil. Facing competition from River Plate and a looming Libertadores registration deadline, the board must urgently define its transfer strategy.
The transfer saga between Flamengo and Almada remains unresolved following football director José Boto's return to Rio de Janeiro. Speaking with journalist Venê Casagrande, the player's agent, Agustín Jimínez, stated that the final decision rests entirely with the Argentine midfielder, who has yet to determine the next step in his career.
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Financial battle with River Plate
Upon landing in Brazil, José Boto stated that the club would not engage in a bidding war for the player. However, for Bernardo Ramos, Flamengo has already lost control of the situation by leaving everything up to Almada. River Plate, who had previously stepped back, renewed their push with figures exceeding typical Argentine football standards. In Ramos's view, these numbers do not reflect the neighboring country's financial reality: winning the Argentine league pays $500,000 (under 3 million reais), whereas the Copa do Brasil awards over 70 million reais. In the video above, Bernardo Ramos analyzes this financial gulf and the repercussions of Flamengo's approach.
Libertadores deadline and Plan B
The calendar creates urgency for the Rio de Janeiro club, as squad changes for the Copa Libertadores must be submitted by this coming Friday, the 7th. If the deal for Almada falls through, finding alternatives will also prove challenging: signing Luiz Henrique from Zenit would demand €35 million and negotiations with Gazprom. Flamengo has already demonstrated its financial muscle by securing deals for Lucas Paquetá for over €42 million and Samuel Lino for more than €22 million, but the club must still respect its budgetary limits.
Transfer market stance and focus on the pitch
According to Ramos, Flamengo's board must be more decisive and set a hard deadline for Agustín Jimínez and Almada to avoid being outmaneuvered by River Plate. Ramos believes José Boto is falling short as Flamengo's head of football, noting that the executive never experienced such intense pressure at Croatia's Osijek. With crucial fixtures looming against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores and Vitória in the Brazilian Série A—the team that knocked them out of the Copa do Brasil—their transfer strategy must be sorted out swiftly to avoid derailing the rest of the season.
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