Filipe Luís on how Saul should line up for Flamengo: "He’s a lad who…" | OneFootball

Saúl was the first signing made by Flamengo in this transfer window

The red-black fans had their first encounter with Saúl Ñíguez this Sunday (27), before the match against Atlético-MG. This is because, despite not playing, the midfielder was introduced to the Nation alongside the full-back Emerson Royal. After the 1-0 victory against the team from Minas Gerais, coach Filipe Luís explained how he intends to use the Spaniard in Mengão.

— Regarding Saúl's position, I see him in all midfield positions, and he is someone who will add a lot of quality for us, competitiveness. He is super competitive, gets into the box a lot, scores goals, heads very well, in addition to the individual technical quality that made him have the career he had. We are very happy to have him here – said Filipe Luís, during a press conference.

WHAT ARE SAÚL ÑÍGUEZ'S CHARACTERISTICS?

Saúl Ñíguez is a kind of ‘joker’ in the midfield, a role that Gerson used to play at Flamengo. This is because the Spanish player mainly acts as a second midfielder, like De La Cruz, but can also strengthen Mengão on the left midfield or playing a bit more defensively, as the first man. Thus, the athlete can be a ‘key piece’ for Filipe Luís's scheme.

HOW MUCH DID FLAMENGO PAY TO SIGN SAÚL?

It is worth noting that Flamengo did not pay anything to Atlético de Madrid (ESP) to sign Saúl Ñíguez. This is because, before signing with Mengão, the midfielder terminated his contract with the Spanish club and thus became ‘free’ in the transfer market. Therefore, the red-black management will only cover bonuses and signing fees to have the Spaniard in Filipe Luís's squad.

WILL SAÚL DEBUT IN FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME?

Still uncertain about Saúl's presence due to physical conditions, Flamengo begins preparations to face Atlético-MG next Thursday (31). The match will take place at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. As usual, Coluna do Fla will bring all the behind-the-scenes of the match, through the website and social media.

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