Santos bid to beat Cruzeiro to Gerson, ex-Flamengo star decides | OneFootball

Gerson has ongoing talks to strengthen Cruzeiro in 2026

The future of Gerson remains uncertain amid discussions between Cruzeiro and Zenit (RUS). Although the team from Minas Gerais has advanced negotiations to sign the player, Santos tried to ‘steal’ the Brazilian rival’s target and reach an agreement with the midfielder, but their proposal was rejected.

According to information from ‘Itatiaia’ radio, Neymar Sr. contacted Marcão, Gerson’s agent, offering a loan contract. In addition, Santos offered to pay 100% of the player’s salary. However, the midfielder turned down the proposal, giving preference to Cruzeiro.

How are the negotiations between Cruzeiro and Zenit?

Although Zenit is playing ‘hardball’ in negotiating Gerson, Cruzeiro continues to make progress in talks to sign the player. After having their first offer rejected, the team from Minas Gerais made a new offer to the Russians, getting closer to the desired amounts.

Thus, Cruzeiro presented an offer of 27 million euros (R$ 169.7 million) to sign Gerson. The proposal consists of 25 million euros (about R$ 157 million) as a fixed amount, plus a 2 million euro (R$ 12.5 million) bonus based on performance goals.

Why does Gerson want to leave Zenit?

It is worth noting that Gerson left Flamengo to join Zenit in July 2025. With less than six months in Russia, the midfielder played 15 matches, scoring two goals. As a result, the player began to view a return to Brazilian football favorably.

Did Flamengo try to sign Gerson?

After Gerson failed to adapt to Russian football, the player’s father approached Flamengo’s football director, José Boto, to offer the midfielder to the club. Marcão’s request, in fact, happened before the end of the 2025 season.

However, José Boto did not give Marcão an answer regarding the possible return of Gerson. Moreover, the Portuguese director did not disclose the request to coach Filipe Luís or to Flamengo’s president, Luiz Eduardo Baptista.

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