Boto on Flamengo transfers: Gyökeres only if I wanted him | OneFootball

Football Director Explains Intelligence in Adapting to Cultural Differences When Hiring

Football director José Boto, from Flamengo, stated on Monday (15) that Brazilian football is not prepared for hiring unknown players. The director compares what Sporting (POR) did in discovering forward Viktor Gyökeres with Rubro-Negro's attempt to announce Mikey Johnston from the English second division.

— Sporting sold Gyökeres for 70 million euros this year. If I wanted to bring him to Flamengo, I think no one would say anything. But when Sporting, who paid 20 million euros for him in the English second league, I think that would be impossible here due to the reaction I saw with a signing that cost 5 million. So we also need to be smart in adapting to cultural differences and their own fan bases –, pointed out Boto, in an interview with ‘UOL’, adding that:

— If Juninho had scored 20 goals, maybe we would have brought Mikey Johnston without much trouble. But obviously, in a club like Flamengo, with the size of Flamengo, I think it's necessary to have a mixed market among players. Those who are truly impressive names and players who, not being those names, will add to the team and provide even more years of sporting or even financial performance –, stated the director.

What Happened with Boto and Mikey Johnston?

Flamengo had agreed to sign Michael Johnston from West Bromwich Albion (ENG) for 5 million pounds (R$ 37 million). The athlete already had a ticket purchased to arrive in Rio de Janeiro.

However, the Rubro-Negro board decided to cancel the deal, citing physical issues. Nonetheless, the investigation by Coluna do Fla revealed that the real reason also involved popular pressure from the Flamengo fan base.

The club halted negotiations with Michael Johnston's representatives and West Bromwich due to the negative backlash and public opinion about the athlete. Thus, Rubro-Negro ended the talks for good.

Who Came Instead?

Mikey did not arrive in Rio de Janeiro. Instead, Flamengo announced Samuel Lino, Jorge Carrascal, and Saúl Ñíguez. However, Rubro-Negro brought in other players during the transfer window at the beginning of the year.

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