Cruzeiro reject Flamengo bid for Kaio Jorge, set minimum price | OneFootball

Cruzeiro was approached by Flamengo at the beginning of this week to discuss a possible transfer of striker Kaio Jorge, a standout player for the Celeste this season and the top scorer in both the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil.

The information, initially reported by ESPN and confirmed by our team, states that the Rio de Janeiro club inquired about the player’s situation and indicated their intention to present a proposal of 30 million euros (just over R$195 million at the current exchange rate). However, the move did not progress: Cruzeiro’s management promptly refused to open negotiations at the mentioned amount.

According to sources on the Celeste side, the club’s directors did not even consider starting talks given the preliminary value presented by Flamengo. The internal position of the football management is also shared by Pedro Lourenço, the majority shareholder of Cruzeiro’s SAF, who made it clear to Flamengo representatives and the press that the club does not intend to negotiate Kaio Jorge for less than 50 million euros (more than R$326 million).

Before Flamengo’s inquiry, the player was also on the radar of Zenit, from Russia, at the beginning of December. Although Cruzeiro did not receive an official proposal, information at the time indicated that the Russian club was considering a bid in the same range of 30 million euros. The striker, however, declined the interest still in the early stages of talks.

It is worth noting that Cruzeiro’s strategy is to avoid, as much as possible, the departure of one of the most important assets of the current squad. Kaio Jorge finished the year with 26 goals scored, in addition to 9 assists, being the main attacking player for Raposa this season. Keeping him in the squad is a request from coach Tite, who has just arrived at Raposa.

The idea within the club and also among the player’s staff is that Kaio continues to make history in Brazilian football, remaining on the radar of the national team coach, Carlo Ancelotti, with an eye on the 2026 World Cup. On Raposa’s side, only a proposal considered “irresistible” would take the number 19 away from the club.

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