Boto on Thiago Almada deal, puts Evertton Araújo up for sale

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Coluna do Fla

·9. Juli 2026

Boto on Thiago Almada deal, puts Evertton Araújo up for sale

What did José Boto say in an exclusive interview with Coluna do Fla?

The mid-year transfer window is about to open and, with that, expectations are already building to see Flamengo’s moves in the market. In an exclusive interview with Coluna do Fla, José Boto, the club’s executive football director, shared Rubro-Negro’s plans for this period.

In recent weeks, Thiago Almada’s name emerged as a possible signing for Flamengo. In light of that, José Boto clarified the club’s stance on these expensive signings and also explained how Mengão’s financial situation currently stands.

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– They said River Plate (ARG) made an offer for him now. But is it really true that he’s going to River Plate? I’m not so sure. Almada is an example, like several other players who would fit at Flamengo. Now, to come to Flamengo, the conditions have to be there for that. We can’t spend 40 million euros anymore, because that is not sustainable for the club -, he said, before concluding:

– We’re not going to sign someone anymore just because someone wants us to sign a certain player. How are we supposed to sign a player if it’s not the coach’s need? That doesn’t mean the player is bad, we’re not looking down on the player. I have to listen to the coach before anything else -, Boto concluded in the interview with Coluna do Fla.

WHAT IS THIAGO ALMADA’S SITUATION?

Flamengo were one of the teams monitoring Thiago Almada’s situation. However, from the beginning, Atlético de Madrid (ESP) made it clear they would not make things easy for any club in a possible negotiation.

At the moment, Thiago Almada is with the Argentina national team squad at the World Cup, where they are in the quarterfinals to face Switzerland. Before the competition ends, however, some outlets report that the player has an agreement to play for River Plate. Even so, the midfielder will decide his future after the tournament ends.

IS EVERTTON ARAÚJO FOR SALE ON THE MARKET?

Still on the transfer market, Boto also analyzed Flamengo’s own squad. In this way, the Portuguese executive believes that European football does not look favorably on signing players older than 25. As a result, in Mengão’s current squad, Evertton Araújo is the only player in the Rubro-Negro squad “for sale.”

– People talk, but they have no idea what the European market is. Today, for a player over 25 to go to Europe is very difficult. The big transfers that happen nowadays are with players who are already in Europe or with very young ones, aged 18 or 19 -, he said, before continuing: – Above 24 years old, very high fees are rarely paid. Given that situation, Evertton Araújo is one of the “sellable” players in Flamengo’s squad when we talk about those kinds of figures -, Boto stressed.

WHAT IS EVERTTON ARAÚJO’S SITUATION AT FLAMENGO?

Evertton Araújo is a young player who has managed to establish himself in Flamengo’s first team. This season, the defensive midfielder took advantage of the gap left by Erick Pulgar and claimed a starting spot in Rubro-Negro’s midfield.

For the next transfer window, Evertton Araújo is already on the list of some European clubs. Milan (ITA), for example, sent an official offer to Rubro-Negro for the midfielder. In addition, Napoli (ITA) and Chelsea (ENG) are monitoring the player’s situation.

*THE FULL FEATURE WITH JOSÉ BOTO BY COLUNA DO FLA WILL BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW ON THE WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOUTUBE.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.