Botafogo eye move for Matheus Gonçalves, ex-Flamengo | OneFootball

Botafogo competes with Vasco to sign Matheus Gonçalves

Clubs around the world are in the final days of the transfer window, which closes this Friday (11). In search of another signing, Botafogo has identified Matheus Gonçalves, former Flamengo player and current Al Ahli (SAU) player, as the club’s new priority.

What is Botafogo’s offer for Matheus Gonçalves?

Botafogo’s offer is a loan deal with an option to buy set at 12 million euros, around R$ 71 million. In addition, the General Severiano side is also offering a higher salary than Vasco, its direct rival in the race for Matheus Gonçalves.

Vasco is also trying to sign Matheus Gonçalves

Botafogo faces competition from Vasco, which also wants to sign Matheus Gonçalves. Therefore, the São Januário club has offered 10 million euros, around R$ 59 million for the midfielder. However, Botafogo’s salary offer remains higher than the one presented by its Rio rival.

Why does Matheus Gonçalves appeal to Botafogo?

The player appeals to Botafogo because of his versatility, as he can play on the wings and also as an attacking midfielder. This tactical flexibility strengthens the club’s interest in signing the former Flamengo player.

What is Matheus Gonçalves’ situation at Al Ahli?

Al Ahli signed Matheus Gonçalves in August 2025. At the time, the Saudi club paid 8 million euros, around R$ 50 million at the exchange rate then, to Flamengo for the then-promising young Rubro-Negro talent. In addition, the team is not opposed to letting the player leave for a new experience in Brazilian football.

In this way, a loan move appears as one of the possible paths for the deal. However, there is still uncertainty over the final structure of the transaction between the clubs involved. Thus, the definition of the format also depends on progress in talks with the player himself in the coming days.

When will the decision on Matheus Gonçalves’ future be made?

A meeting this Wednesday (09) will define Matheus Gonçalves’ future. Therefore, the outcome of the negotiations should come before the transfer window closes on Friday (11). As a result, the Brazilian transfer market is closely following another chapter involving a former Flamengo academy player.

What was Matheus Gonçalves’ path like at Flamengo?

Midfielder Matheus Gonçalves is one of the recent gems developed in Flamengo’s academy. Even with his talent, the player has already experienced ‘ups and downs’ with Rubro-Negro, including a loan spell at Red Bull Bragantino in 2023.

As soon as he returned to Flamengo, Matheus Gonçalves did get opportunities, but he was unable to establish himself in the senior squad. With Filipe Luís’ arrival, the player was even moved down to the under-20 team, where he went on to win the Club World Cup at youth level.

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