Boto on Saúl’s last-minute Flamengo twist: “He nearly boarded…” | OneFootball

Which team was Saúl Ñíguez heading to when he decided to sign with Flamengo?

Saúl Ñíguez was one of the players that Flamengo signed in the last transfer window. However, the athlete's destination could have been different. José Boto, Fla's technical football director, recounted the turnaround in the Spaniard's choice, as he had already agreed to play for Trabzonspor (TUR).

— Saúl was a market opportunity, he appeared right after the injury of Erick Pulgar and the departure of Gerson. Saúl appeared as a player who could cover these two positions, who was free in the market, but who was already with one foot on the plane to go to Trabzonspor —, he declared, before concluding:

— The negotiation with Saúl took place one night, right after the Flamengo game against São Paulo, if I'm not mistaken. That night, I went to get the player in the early morning of Brazil and we managed to close for the athlete to come to Brazil and not to where he was going —, concluded Boto in an interview with ‘Uol Esporte’.

HOW IS SAÚL ÑÍGUEZ DOING AT FLAMENGO?

It's important to note that this change of plans by Saúl was beneficial for the athlete. That's because, even in a short time, the midfielder has already won over the fans and has become an absolute starter on the Flamengo team.

In addition to his performances on the field, Saúl is also experiencing an important moment off the 'four lines'. Adapted to Rio de Janeiro, the midfielder and his entire family welcomed the arrival of Marco, the Spaniard's third child, on Saturday (13).

WHAT IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME?

With Saúl available, Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18) to face Estudiantes (ARG), for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. The ball rolls at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. The Coluna do Fla shows the details of the confrontation, on YouTube. Finally, ESPN (cable channel) and Disney+ (streaming) broadcast the match.

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