Sports
Zenit Demands €35 Million Upfront for Luiz Henrique
Without a financial agreement in time for the Libertadores registration deadline, the forward is ruled out for Flamengo against Cruzeiro.
Zenit has raised its asking price to 35 million euros upfront to release Luiz Henrique to Flamengo. With the registration deadline for the Copa Libertadores round of 16 now closed, the forward will not be eligible to face Cruzeiro.
Flamengo has encountered a major financial hurdle in its attempt to sign Luiz Henrique. According to reporting by Rodrigo Matos, Zenit's board increased its asking price for the forward to 35 million euros and is now demanding full upfront payment.
According to Bernardo Ramos, the Rio de Janeiro club cannot afford to disburse that amount immediately and should avoid financial overreach. If the Russian executives insist on the full sum without installments, the deal will fall through.
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Deadline expired for the Libertadores
The Russian club's demand thwarted the Rubro-Negro board's initial plan to have Luiz Henrique available for the first leg against Cruzeiro in the Copa Libertadores round of 16. The registration deadline for new players in this stage of the continental tournament has passed, ruling out any possibility of registering him in time for the clash at the Mineirão.
Despite missing out on him for the continental competition, Flamengo has not given up on the signing. Negotiations remain underway behind the scenes with the goal of securing the player for the rest of the season, aiming to feature him in the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Negotiation dynamics and proposal model
Luiz Henrique already has a verbal agreement with Flamengo and has expressed his desire to return to Brazilian soccer, leaving only the financial terms to be settled with Zenit. The board's stance mirrors the approach used in talks with West Ham for Lucas Paquetá: an official bid is only submitted once all conditions are fully aligned between the parties.
In the video above, Bernardo Ramos analyzes Zenit's stance in negotiations with Brazilian clubs and the challenges Flamengo faces in the transfer market.
The board intensified its search for signings after Al-Hamada's rejection. During talks, Luiz Henrique's agent floated the possibility of including Plata in the deal with the Russian side, but according to reporting by Venê Casagrande, Flamengo did not formalize any swap offer. Recent history illustrates how complicated negotiations with the Russian club can be, having bought Gerson for 25 million euros and later selling him to Cruzeiro for a fixed 27 million euros plus 3 million euros in performance bonuses.
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