Flamengo graduate unveiled by Balotelli's side | OneFootball

Ryan Luka is the new signing for Al-Ittifaq (UAE)

A product of Flamengo’s youth academy, Ryan Luka is the new signing for Al-Ittifaq (UAE). The forward, who had been playing for Nacional do Amazonas, will now share the pitch with two major names in world football: Italian Mario Balotelli and Brazilian Douglas Costa.

Even though he came through at Flamengo, the Rubro-Negro will not receive any money from the transfer through FIFA’s solidarity mechanism. That is because the player terminated his contract with Nacional in order to sign with the club from the United Arab Emirates.

In other words, Ryan Luka joined Al-Ittifaq on a free transfer. To terminate his deal with Nacional, the Manaus-based club reached an agreement and managed to keep 30% of the player’s economic rights, with an eye on a future sale of the youngster, who is now 22 years old.

A SPECIAL YEAR FOR RYAN LUKA

Ryan Luka made history with Nacional. After all, the team earned promotion from Série D to the third division of the Brazilian Championship this year, an unprecedented achievement for the club from Manaus. The former Flamengo player made 23 appearances for the club, scoring three goals and providing two assists. In addition to promotion to Série C, the team also won the Amazonense Championship after a ten-year drought.

RYAN LUKA AT FLAMENGO

Ryan Luka won important titles in Flamengo’s youth ranks, such as the U-15 Carioca and the Brazilian Championships at U-17 and U-20 level. The youngster was even included in Mengão squad lists during Rogério Ceni’s time, but he made only four appearances for the senior team.

The forward joined Flamengo at 13 years old and left the club in 2023. Later, Ryan signed with Fortaleza and had international spells with Samgurali Tskaltubo of Georgia and Isola Capo Rizzuto of Italy before arriving in Amazonian football.

AUTHOR’S OPINION

— Congratulations to Ryan Luka for his resilience. Leaving a club like Flamengo to play in Série D of the Brazilian Championship is not something just anyone can do. Many would lose heart or give up on football. But the kid stayed focused and has now been rewarded: he will play in a league that pays well and share a locker room with Balotelli and Douglas Costa —, said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla.

— Now we can only hope he shines there in the United Arab Emirates and maybe earns a big transfer in the future. Since the forward spent a long time at Mengão, the Most Beloved will be able to make some money. Wishing the kid success there in the Emirates —, he added.

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