Anthony Valencia and Joaquín Freitas train with Flamengo squad | OneFootball

Players were announced as Flamengo reinforcements for the remainder of the season

On the morning of this Tuesday (01), Flamengo announced the signings of Anthony Valencia and Joaquín Freitas. Both signed contracts with the Most Beloved until 2031. Meanwhile, the two players have already started training with the Rubro-Negro squad.

In short, Flamengo’s squad is wrapping up preparations for the match against Mirassol with a training session on the morning of this Tuesday (01). Thus, at Ninho do Urubu, both Anthony Valencia and Joaquín Freitas took part in the activity alongside the Rubro-Negro group.

What is still needed for the players to make their debuts?

Now, with everything ‘ok’ in the medical exams, in addition to training with the Flamengo squad, the club is only waiting on bureaucracy so the players can make their debuts wearing the Sacred Shirt. For that, the CBF needs to publish the names of Anthony Valencia and Joaquín Freitas in the CBF’s Daily Information Bulletin (BID). 

Who is Anthony Valencia, Flamengo’s new signing?

Anthony Valencia is 23 years old and plays as a right winger. The deal cost Rubro-Negro 5 million euros, around R$ 30 million. With that, Flamengo secures another young piece for Leonardo Jardim’s attacking sector.

Before accepting the Rubro-Negro proposal, Valencia played for Royal Antwerp of Belgium. For the Belgian club, the forward made 84 appearances and scored 13 goals. The Ecuadorian also provided four assists during his spell at the European club.

Who is Joaquín Freitas, Flamengo’s new signing?

Joaquín Freitas faced Flamengo in a friendly played in Portugal during the 2026 mid-season break, while he was still playing for River Plate (ARG). That match ended up serving precisely for the Rio de Janeiro club to observe the forward up close. The board left impressed by the player’s characteristics.

According to Flamengo’s internal assessment, Joaquín has similarities to Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan (ITA). Therefore, the comparison raises expectations around the signing. The Argentine forward is globally recognized for his quality inside the box.

Despite the comparison, Joaquín Freitas arrives at Flamengo as an option rather than a starter. The player comes in as Pedro’s immediate backup in the squad. Even so, the internal competition tends to raise the level of the attacking sector.

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